This is a page where you can find information on
national call in days, horse slaughter statistics, and any horse slaughter related
information.

(Note from Brandi: This is from a forward, so I don’t know anything more than what you see here. Please check them out thoroughly before donating.)

Dear friends & horse advocates,

As you may know, I'm working with a very passionate team to make an important feature-length documentary film called "Horsepower". It's about our relationship with horses, the issues of rescue and slaughter and the current welfare of horses in the US. The goal is to educate on the issues and help re-ignite America's love affair with the horse, and in turn, help as many horses as possible.

We have a ton of compelling footage under our belts and we are on our way to creating a powerful movie. We have felt a huge amount of support from the horse community but unfortunately our Kickstarter campaign was unsuccessful. THANK YOU so much to those of you who pledged. What you may not know is that on Kickstarter no money changes hands unless you reach your goal. So we created a new plan to generate awareness and start telling the story right away...

We're working on ashortHorsepower documentary that focuses on rescue and the path to slaughter in order to raise awareness of the issues ASAP and build support for the feature-length movie. It will be submitted to film festivals and TV networks early next year. I also plan to personally screen the film at horse events to share it with as many people as possible. Our fundraising goal for the short is $10,000. We're halfway there, so it's quite achievable, but I need help, as my team and I continue to self-finance filming because the story will not wait!

Please watch our short trailer. If you're compelled by the project please contribute to help us help horses. If you've already contributed -- THANK YOU!-- and please share this with a few people you think might also be compelled.

I think this film is hugely important, that it will extend beyond the horse world and speak to the average American, help educate the masses about horse issues and even address social issues beyond equine.

Financial contributions to "Horsepower" for the project entitled "Short Horsepower Documentary" go directly to the filming, production, post-production and distribution of the short film, in order to educate the public, raise awareness of equine issues and help horses. Horsepower the movie, and the production companies of its affiliates (Berkeley Street Media, Ry Wardwell Films, Session 7 Media, Equus Now Project) are not a 501(c)(3) organizations. Financial contributions to "Horsepower" or any of its projects are not tax deductible and do not grant ownership rights to the movie entitled "Horsepower" or any media or other properties created by "Horsepower" or its affiliates, including Short Horsepower Documentary. By contributing to Short Horsepower Documentary you acknowledge that you receive no ownership or decision-making rights related to "Horsepower" the movie or
any of its properties or affiliates. What you WILL receive is an enormous THANK YOU and, at a minimum, either a sticker or original "Horsepower" greeting card if you choose to provide your email and physical address to the Horsepower team.

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New post on Habitat for Horses
Horse Slaughter – Is it on or off the table?
by Jerry Finch
Horse welfare organizations have said for a long time that the EID forms (Equine Identification Documents) accompanying horses for slaughter for human consumption are fraudulent and are being filled out by kill buyers themselves. Kill buyers routinely fill out these forms only a short time after buying the horse, claiming they have identified the horse over 6 months ago and that the horse has not received any banned substances such as phenylbutazone (a carcinogen) and clenbuterol (a bronchodilator/bulking agent) for that entire period of time.
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Jerry Finch | October 20, 2012 at 7:27 pm | Tags: Canada, Congress, horse slaughterhouses, horses, Mexico, slaughter | Categories: Horse Slaughter | URL:http://wp.me/p2xPqi-Lv
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From: Equine Welfare Alliance <vicki@equinewelfarealliance.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 20, 2012 4:15 AM
Subject: 2012.10.20 Updated Slaughter Stats, ASPCA Award and Investigation Tips
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Today's News
First the good news... Join us in congratulating Declan Gregg for winning the well-deserved ASPCA award for Kid of the Year! We are all so proud of Declan for his efforts to end horse slaughter.
You can read all about it in Horsetalk NZ. And be sure to visit Declan's blog and facebook page.
Way to go, Declan!
Tips for Investigative Team
If you have a tip for our investigators, you can email or send an anonymous tip through Wild Horse Freedom's site here or through Equine Welfare Alliance's site here. Both sites provide an email address for the team and an anonymous tip form and forward the information directly to the investigative team.
Updated Slaughter Stats
And now for the bad news. Numbers are up 35% over last year at this time. Canada is up 1%, Mexico is up 61% and Japan is up 1,335%. Canada and Japan are always one month behind in reporting data so it is never an apples to apples comparison until we have full years' data but percentages reflect the year to date for the same reporting period in the prior year.
Slaughter stats have been updated on our Horse Slaughter page and are linked below.
By year
By week
This is a new spreadsheet that is a year over year comparison from 2006 to current date available. I think it's easier to see the shift between countries in this format. I'll update this monthly with the other spreadsheets.
YR over YR
Just amazing how the anti-horse folks keep saying we need to bring the slaughter option back...
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New post on Canadian Horse Defence Coalition's Blog
News Release – CFIA Fails Again at Enforcing Regulations for Live Horse Exports to Japan
by canadianhorsedefencecoalition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CFIA Fails Again at Enforcing Regulations for Live Horse Exports to Japan
October 18, 2012, Calgary, AB - Footage taken of Alberta horses being shipped live to Japan for slaughter shows that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is violating their own standards set forth in the Health of Animals Regulations. The Regulations prohibit the transportation of all animals under conditions that would expose the animals to undue injury or suffering.
The 2012 footage shows horses in a feedlot being loaded with electric prods into transport trucks, transported to the Calgary International Airport and being crated in wooden crates so small they cannot stand in their natural position, in violation of Section 142 of the Health of Animals Regulations (“No person shall transport or cause to be transported animals in a railway car, motor vehicle, aircraft or vessel unless each animal is able to stand in its natural position without coming into contact with a deck or roof.”).
Some horses were even being crated together, even though it is in violation of Section 141.8 of the Health of Animals Regulations, which states that horses over 14 hands high must be segregated for air transport.
Canadian draft horses from various producers are routinely live shipped to Japan for slaughter from the Calgary and Winnipeg International Airports. On arrival in Japan, horses are transported to a feedlot; once they reach desired weight they are slaughtered for horse sashimi, which is considered to be a delicacy in Japan. The meat must be eaten within three days because it is highly perishable; according to the 2008 Alberta Horse Welfare Report, each Canadian horse is worth approximately $20,000.
“Footage shows large horses overcrowded (not segregated) into wooden transport crates, often unable to stand in their natural position for a long journey to Japan, in clear violation of two of the CFIA's own regulations", says Sinikka Crosland, executive director with the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition. These transport conditions not only are inhumane but also are likely to lead to injuries and potential deaths during transport.
“Once again we see the CFIA turn a blind eye and choose to protect industry profits rather than do their job”, says Crosland. "The CFIA's mandate is both to protect human health and monitor animal welfare. We have recently seen them fail to protect the public from contaminated meat and now we have clear evidence of them failing to follow their own regulations when it comes to live transport of horses for meat."
To view the footage of Alberta horses being shipped live to Japan:http://www.youtube.com/user/defendhorsescanada
- 30 -
For further information, please contact: Sinikka Crosland, Executive Director, Canadian Horse Defence Coalition. Tel:250.681.1408
To learn more about the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition:http://defendhorsescanada.org/
canadianhorsedefencecoalition | October 18, 2012 at 11:39 | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/pUJ26-166
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New post on Habitat for Horses
We stand together…
by Jerry Finch
After looking over the documentation I received concerning a recent inspection of the Mexican EU slaughterhouses, the European Food and Safety inspectors were shocked to find the extreme violations being committed at the border by both the Mexican and US authorities. False documentation, unsigned Certificates of Health, no health records, blatant lies and forgeries - all done by KBer’s in the name of money.
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Jerry Finch | October 15, 2012 at 7:21 pm | Tags: Canada, Congress, dollar, donkey, horse slaughterhouses, horses, Mexico, money, slaughter | Categories: Horse Slaughter, Reflections | URL:http://wp.me/s2xPqi-stand
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New post on Tuesday's Horse
Road to slaughter in Canada re-opens for US horses
by VGFarrell
While the reasons given are many and varied for the rejection beginning last Friday of U.S. horses by slaughter plants in Canada that came suddenly and with no warning, today the road to slaughter re-opened. Clearly the slaughter of U.S. horses for human consumption will continue in Canada and Mexico where thousands are killed for [...]
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VGFarrell | Oct 16, 2012 at 4:23 pm | Tags: bouvry's, bute, canada, cfia, claude bouvry, european commission, horse meat, Horse Slaughter, mexico, n. america, toxins in meat | Categories: Horse Slaughter | URL:http://wp.me/p6VVi-6Kz
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New post on Straight from the Horse's Heart
CONFUSION REINS AS CANADIAN SLAUGHTER PLANTS HALT IMPORT OF US HORSES
by R.T. Fitch
Press Release from Equine Welfare Alliance and the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition Market for Butchered American Horses is Slaughtered Chicago (EWA) – US horses are no longer being accepted by Canadian horse slaughter plants, according to multiple sources. Kevin Lambright with the Shipshewana auction in Indiana confirmed reports that they have discontinued loose (slaughter) horse [...]
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R.T. Fitch | October 12, 2012 at 5:33 PM | Tags: Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, European Union, Horse, Horse Slaughter, horsemeat, Mexico | Categories: Horse Health, Horse Slaughter | URL:http://wp.me/pyapj-4B2
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Today's News
While this is excellent news, information is still coming in so please stay tuned. We will provide information when received, in particular, our concerns with the horses stuck in the pipeline. We have contacted Jerry Finch and will keep all of you posted as we hear of coordination of rescue efforts.
Please be cautious of anyone asking for donations to pull horses as we are not aware of any efforts at this time and news like this brings out the scammers. We are unsure if this is temporary or will be in effect until North America and Mexico has a passport system.
October 12, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
John Holland, Equine Welfare Alliance
540.268.5693john@equinewelfarealliance.org
Sinikka Crosland, Canadian Horse Defence Coalition
250.681.1408info@defendhorsescanada.org
CONFUSION REINS AS CANADIAN SLAUGHTER PLANTS STOP SLAUGHTERING US HORSES
Chicago (EWA) - US horses are no longer being accepted by Canadian horse slaughter plants, according to multiple sources. The Shipshewana auction in Indiana confirmed reports that they have discontinued loose (slaughter) horse sales for an indefinite period of time.
A spokesperson for the Sugar Creek Ohio auction also confirmed that the kill buyers were no longer taking slaughter horses because "the plants are shut down". This was further confirmed by a Richelieu slaughter house official. An unconfirmed report from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) indicated it was the result of a European Union (EU) directive.
Canadian customs officials, however, knew nothing of the action. To add to the confusion, at least one driver stated that he did deliver horses to an undisclosed plant Friday afternoon.
The move came so suddenly that many trucks were already on the way when they learned of it. According to Lambright the issue is that the EU has banned American horse meat from being shipped for consumption in Europe. EWA has yet to receive confirmation from the EU.
Following the closure of US based horse slaughter plants in 2007, the export of horses to slaughter in Canada and Mexico increased dramatically. In 2011 the US exported over 64,000 horses to Canada and 68,000 to Mexico.
Documents showing horse meat contaminated with phenylbutazone (a carcinogen) and clenbuterol (a steroid) surfaced recently, indicating that the CFIA and the EU were accelerating their residue testing programs. These reports were followed by claims from some kill buyers that blood was being drawn from as many as half their horses (an unprecedented percentage) before they were being accepted.
Since most of the meat from both the Canadian and Mexican plants is being consumed by the EU, it is reported but not confirmed that Mexico too will curtail imports of US horses.
In 2008, the EU announced that it would require third countries to come into compliance with their standards which require horses to be micro-chipped and all their medications tracked, but few observers expected any action would come before the expiration of a July, 2013 deadline.
The most likely explanation for the sudden move is that the expanded residue testing program has yielded worse than anticipated results.
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Veterinarians for Equine Welfare
Veterinarians for Equine Welfare (VEW) is a group of veterinarians committed to equine welfare, and as such we support measures to end horse slaughter including passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S. 1176). We are concerned about misinformation being transmitted to Congress and the broader public regarding horse slaughter. VEW believes that certain veterinary professional associations that are actively promoting horse slaughter are undermining our profession’s integrity and the welfare of the horses we care for. In so doing these organizations, of which many of us are members, erroneously purport to speak for our entire profession. Veterinarians should put animal welfare at the top of their list of priorities, not relegate it to an also-ran concern.
Horse slaughter has never been considered by veterinary professionals to be a form of euthanasia. Congress and the general public must hear from veterinarians that horse slaughter is not and should not be equated with humane euthanasia. Rather, the slaughtering of horses is a brutal and predatory business that promotes cruelty and neglect and which claimed the lives of more than 100,000 American horses in 2008.
Given that the debate on horse slaughter is at a crucial juncture with the recent closure of the remaining domestic horse slaughter plants under state law, the surge in horses going to a grisly death in Canada and Mexico, and the opportunity currently before Congress to end the suffering of America’s horses through speedy passage of the federal American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, VEW is compelled to inject its expertise into the arena. This White Paper will, from a professional veterinary perspective, address key points on the issue of horse slaughter and in so doing will lend further credence to calls for a rapid end to this wholly brutal and un-American trade.
For more information, please visit www.vetsforequinewelfare.org
Marge
" SILENCE IS THE VOICE OF COMPLICITY "

Fri Oct 5, 2012 12:08 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
From: Equine Welfare Alliance <vicki@equinewelfarealliance.org>
Sent: Friday, October 5, 2012 10:15 AM
Subject: 2012.10.05 Catching up on news
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Today's News
First, we will have information on the conference soon. We have to obtain permission to release footage before we can post any portion of videos from the presentations. Terry Fitch has to sort through the pictures which will be posted on-line. As you can imagine, with all that is going on everyone is busy. We've been contacted for articles for two publications so we're under deadlines on those.
The conference was just spectacular!
CANADIAN ALERT - very important!
Dr. Berreville, scientific advisor for CHCD mentioned in his presentation that it doesn't appear as though Canada will be ready for the EU regs that kick-in next year. The government was funding an identification system but it hasn't gone anywhere.
Enter: Sue Wallis and Bill desBarres with an ID sytem hoping to cash in with Canadian taxpayer dollars. You know they'll try to bring this to the US if they are successful in Canada.
This needs to be quashed. It is the government's responsibility, not horse haters that benefit from horse slaughter, especially a radical from outside the country.
Visit the below link for more information. We need to keep an eye on this! Please leave a comment.
Pro-Slaughter Group Attempts to Cash In on Horse Traceability Program While Canada Falters on its Deadline http://canadianhorsedefencecoalition.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/pro-slaughter-group-attempts-to-cash-in-on-horse-traceability-program-while-canada-falters-on-its-deadline/
LEGISLATIVE ALERT
This bill needs our support. The darkside is organizing to defeat the bill so we need to show strong support for ending the cruelty and abuse of horse soring. http://action.humanesociety.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=46942.0&dlv_id=49622
Horse Meat on the Menu?
This is another home run for Vickery Eckhoff on MoMA serving horse meat. Thanks to the outrage of our dedicated advocates, the restaurant in MoMA has pulled horse meat.
Let's keep this story front and center. Visit Forbes and leave a comment!
Vickery's article:
MoMA's Café Chef to Serve Illegal, Tainted Horse Meat? http://www.forbes.com/sites/vickeryeckhoff/2012/10/03/moma-cafe-chef-to-serve-illegal-tainted-horse-meat/
Times article:
Outcry Scuttles Plan to Put Horse on a New York Menuhttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/nyregion/m-wells-dinette-will-not-sell-horse-meat-owners-say.html?_r=2
Must see video!
Here's a great video (thanks to Carrie) on a real estate firm in Austin that is using horses to train their sales force on communicating with people through non-verbal behaviors. http://keyetv.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_4541.shtml
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New post on The Persian Horse's Blog
HORSES STARVED FOR 3 MONTHS BEFORE SLAUGHTER TO MAKE MEAT MORE EXPENSIVE ~ CALL PROSECUTOR NOW.
by thepersianhorse
~
Dedicated to the Horses who Shed their Blood, Gave up their Freedom and Lost their Lives for BLM.
Animal Recovery Mission
The above picture is provided by Animal Recovery Mission. It is a screen shot taken in a Hillsborough County Illegal Slaughter Farm. Anti grazing masks are placed on horses here to lean out the meat. The masks are also placed so the horses don't eat the wood. This meat is sold for triple the price as other horse meat. The Cuban buyers see this meat as having stronger medical powers for curing ailments.
In order to collect the right evidence on these farms, a great deal of patience is needed; and watching animals going through long term torture is needed to create long term change (hardest part of Richard "Kudo" Couto's job). Without this the farms would stay open for another 50 years and farmers go unpunished. In this case ARM had to watch this horse go from powerful and healthy to 3 months of starvation then slaughtered.
Hillsborough County Sheriff and their State attorney have still not made arrests in this and similar cases.
ACTIVISTS: DO YOU WANT JUSTICE FOR THIS HORSE, WHO WAS STARVED FOR THREE MONTHS BEFORE SLAUGHTER? CHECK BELOW FOR INSTRUCTIONS.
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thepersianhorse | October 4, 2012 at 5:35 PM | Categories: ALERTS | URL:http://wp.me/p14D2r-S3
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New post on Canadian Horse Defence Coalition's Blog
Pro-Slaughter Group Attempts to Cash In on Horse Traceability Program While Canada Falters on its Deadline
by canadianhorsedefencecoalition
Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (CHDC) Reports on Canada's Equine Traceability Program
Introduction
Canada's federal government and national livestock producer organizations have created the Canadian Livestock Identification Agency. Equine Canada was responsible for developing an equine-specific program (CanEQUID) to satisfy federal government requirements for identification and traceability for equines, and was represented on the Board of Directors.
This paper addresses the outcome of Equine Canada's research and the demise of its planned program. Also, it addresses the desire of a pro-slaughter group to step in and implement their solution for an equine traceability program.
Both programs, however, cannot proceed without funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), but both could benefit very well financially if they become the group of choice to go forward with the program.
In September 2012, the CHDC wrote to Equine Canada, as well as Integrated Traceability, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to enquire on the status of this program. We are aware that a July 2013 target date is fast approaching, whereby Canada is to implement further measures to enhance the Equine Information Document (EID) system for horses slaughtered in Canada for human consumption in Europe. Under Canada's national livestock traceability system, there is to be in place an animal identification system (lifetime passport or microchip), a premises identification program, as well as a movement tracking system between premises.
A response from Dr. Edward Kendall at Equine Canada confirmed that the CanEQUID program will not meet its end of 2012 target date for this program. AAFC has not responded to our enquiry.
In the meantime, we have been watching what is happening at Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada (HWAC), Canada's dichotomous pro-slaughter "horse welfare" group, chaired by Bill desBarres. HWAC has partnered with Animal ID Solutions Inc., and has been promoting their alliance, as stated in this November 2011 news release from HWAC and their U.S. partner, International Equine Business Association (IEBA) (formerly United Horsemen of the U.S.), headed by well-known U.S. pro-slaughter proponent, Sue Wallis.
It is now apparent that HWAC is working diligently to have their equine traceability program picked up by AAFC, and of course, receive the necessary funding to make it happen. On September 21, 2012, HWAC sent a letter to all HWAC partners and Canadian equine related organizations with a Call to Action where desBarres describes the Equine Traceability Canada (ETC) program, and how ETC is the solution for this initiative.
The call to action is a request to respond to the following question: "Do you and your constituents support HWAC, as a non-partisan national organization, to facilitate Canadian equine identification and traceability (the ETC project) through proven, internationally accepted and secure technology?” Recipients are to respond by October 3, 2012 since "decisions must be made and action taken".
HWAC knows Canada must address its requirements for the European Commission for Canadian-based horsemeat traceability, and knows that Equine Canada's CanEQUID program will not move forward without funding from AAFC. HWAC is attempting to prove that THEY are capable of implementing a microchip program through Animal ID Solutions Inc. and are moving quickly to prove their case.
The CHDC asks, though, why would HWAC receive the funding when it was already denied to Equine Canada? Equine Canada already was approved to receive nearly half a million dollars in 2010 just to research and gather data. We know that HWAC considers its solution as "turnkey", so they propose they are in a better position to implement the program.
While the federal government may see the equine component of the Canadian Livestock Identification Agency as necessary, to bring Canada closer to a European type United Equine Lifetime Number system, it is believed that the reason HWAC is interested in being part of this solution is related solely to enhance and grow Canada's horse slaughter industry. Also, partnering with IEBA, HWAC likely envisions a solution for a traceability program for American horses. They know that 67% of horses slaughtered in Canada in 2011 were from the U.S. So HWAC can also benefit hugely if funding is provided to build this program.
It would be an immense win-win for Bill desBarres and Sue Wallis - ensure Canada meets its traceability obligations with the EU, sustain and grow North America's horse slaughter industry AND partner with AAFC and potentially receive an input of millions of Canadian tax-payer dollars. Horse slaughter could be very lucrative to these crafty pro-slaughter partners.
Keep reading for the whole story, and the CHDC's conclusions.
Equine Canada
Since 2009 and earlier, Equine Canada (EC) has been included in an implementation strategy for a Canadian national equine traceability program.
Under regulations of the Health of Animals Act, Canada has a mandatory identification program for cattle, bison and sheep. Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is expanding the system to include other livestock species. According to AAFC, horses are functional livestock and are part of the national ID and traceability strategy for animal health and food safety reasons. According to Equine Canada, CanEQUID is the national traceability program for horses and will be a component of the National Livestock Traceability System for all livestock.
According to this presentation, “Equine Traceability: Moving Forward with CanEQUID”, by Vel Evans on behalf of Equine Canada, CanEQUID is expected to be regulated by late 2012 or early 2013. Prior to this September 2010 presentation, Equine Canada announced in June 2010 in a news release, “National Equine Industry Traceability Readiness Study Began in May”, that Equine Canada was approved to receive $478,766 in funding from AAFC for preliminary research and data-gathering initiatives for the traceability program.
Prior to this in June 2009, Equine Canada put out an Implementation Strategy for CanEquid which makes several references to pressing deadlines for a national equine traceability program, and emphasizes that EC is seeking AAFC funding support for completion of the project. On page 24 it is stated, "Development of the program will require AAFC financial support funding to proceed."
Vel Evans’ September 2010 presentation goes into detail on the steps Equine Canada took in its 2010 research (with the $478,766 funding from AAFC), including a national telephone research survey and a subsequent Ontario Pilot Project polling Ontario’s racing sector. Their findings include data on recording retainment, movement of horses, and owners’ medical treatment for horses (of which 82% of owners reported administering Phenylbutazone). The presentation lays out the timelines for CanEQUID's implementation including development over 2011/12, an industry awareness campaign in 2011/12 and expected regulations by 2013.
Subsequent to this, Equine Canada held two Equine Industry Forums; Equine Canada 2011 Equine Industry Forum in November 2011 in Toronto, ON, and Equine Canada 2012 Equine Industry Forum II in February 2012 in St. John's, NL. At the first Toronto Forum, Dr. Edward Kendall, Chair of the EC National Traceability Committee gave an overview on the CanEQUID program which would include "horse health history records that affect eligibility for processing".
At the February 2012 session however, the focus of the forum took a different turn. During the second session, the tone of the meeting took on a more ominous tone when equine traceability was discussed (page 8) Dr. Kendall kicked off by saying that EC has developed standards, a strategy and a plan for equine traceability in Canada, but he revealed that the government has indicated it will not be funding the infrastructure necessary to support ID. He brought forward some points of consideration including: the need to address this through the breed registries; and the food safety component of the plan being relatively expensive.
He also said the government seems willing to put millions behind support mechanisms for the pork and cattle sectors, but not horses. "They don't see horses as livestock and part of the food chain". He also said, "If we don't want to be part of the regulations, then now is the time to express this opinion to the government." In a telling statement he also said, "This could be seen as one more barrier to people buying horses, as we already get taxed on many inputs unlike other livestock commodities. Why should we also pay for traceability? Through our economic contributions, we are actually subsidizing the other commodities."
After these notable comments, a Motion was put to the floor: "That Equine Canada communicates to AAFC to the effect that the word Equine be removed from all current drafts of the new regulations of the Health of Animals Act related to traceability." Several interesting comments were made by the panel (page 9) such as, "We can't have it both ways, we want our horses classified as livestock, but we don't want to be regulated like other livestock." Also, "We don't want the current draft regulations, they insist on microchips and passports.", and "We don't want it.".
After the Motion was carried, discussions on the merits of having a Unique Equine Lifetime Number (UELN) ensued (page 10). The forum suggested that breed registries, which already have a database in place, add a number in front of the breed registration number, that would allow following the horse after it leaves racing, for example. "It is not more paperwork, just adding numbers in front of the breed registration number". It was agreed that the breed registries could take this forward.
A Motion was carried, "That the Equine Canada Delegate Assembly adopt the UELN". So in quick fashion, Equine Canada, after years of targeting implementation of the program and receiving nearly half a million dollars for research, quickly voted down any further involvement with CanEQUID. In the end, without government funding, it was no longer on the table and not worth any further discussion.
Upon discovering this revealing documentation, the CHDC wrote to Dr. Kendall at Equine Canada, as well as Integrated Traceability, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. To this date, we have not had a response from AAFC. Dr. Kendall, however, did respond by saying, "The federal government's proposed regulations are unworkable without significant public support - the federal government indicated that support was not available at this time. Equine Canada consulted with the industry and as a result requested that the regulations for horses be delayed until funding is available."
It is a known fact that an equine national traceability program be part of the requirements set out by the European Commission for horses destined for slaughter. The Equine Information Document (EID) is only the first step in a broader ranged program to create complete traceability and visibility into Canada's 1.1 million horse population. Canada has committed to creating a database that is to include all horses, not just slaughter bound equines.
Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada (HWAC)
HWAC, Canada's paradoxical pro-slaughter "horse welfare" group has partnered with Ontario-based Animal ID Solutions Inc., which has on its web site links to its partners HWAC and U.S. partner International Equine Business Association (IEBA), headed by well-known U.S. pro-slaughter proponent, Sue Wallis. Over the last few years, Wallis has changed organization names and websites (United Organizations of the Horse and United Horsemen), but the message and the mission remains the same. These groups promote their alliance in this November 2011 news release.
According to the release, HWAC and IEBA/United Horsemen "share a common goal to mutually protect the welfare of the horse, strengthen the international horse industry, and to promote the use of horses and equine products in commercial enterprises." Welfare may be mentioned first, but make no mistake, the last part is the true purpose - use horses and horse products (after slaughter) to benefit commercially.
It is now apparent that HWAC is working diligently to have their equine traceability program picked up by AAFC, and of course, receive the necessary funding to make it happen. On September 21, 2012, HWAC sent a letter to all HWAC partners and Canadian equine related organizations with a Call to Action where desBarres describes the Equine Traceability Canada (ETC) program, and how ETC is the solution for this initiative.
The call to action is a request to respond to the following question: "Do you and your constituents support HWAC, as a non-partisan national organization, to facilitate Canadian equine identification and traceability (the ETC project) through proven, internationally accepted and secure technology?" Recipients are to respond by October 3, 2012 since "decisions must be made and action taken".
HWAC knows Canada must address its requirements for the European Commission for Canadian-based horsemeat traceability, and knows that Equine Canada's CanEQUID program will not move forward without funding from AAFC. HWAC is attempting to prove that they are capable of implementing a microchip program through Animal ID Solutions Inc. and are moving quickly to prove their case. We can be certain that HWAC’s “Resource Partner” Bouvry Exports Calgary (Canada’s largest horse slaughter plant operation) is watching closely to see the outcome. After all, Bill desBarres is a paid consultant for Bouvry Exports, according to this GlobalTV news report in 2010 when desBarres spoke on behalf of the Alberta slaughter plant. During the interview, desBarres denied the authenticity of 10 hours of video footage obtained at Bouvry Exports, instead of voicing concern for the suffering of the horses in the videos.
The CHDC asks, though, why would HWAC receive the funding when it was already denied to Equine Canada?
Equine Canada already was approved to receive nearly half a million dollars in 2010 just to research and gather data. We know that HWAC considers its solution as "turnkey", so they propose they are in a better position to implement the program.
While the federal government may see the equine component of the Canadian Livestock Identification Agency as necessary, to bring Canada closer to a European type United Equine Lifetime Number system, the CHDC believes the reason that HWAC is interested in being part of this solution is related solely to enhance and grow Canada's horse slaughter industry. Also, partnering with IEBA, HWAC likely envisions a solution for a traceability program for American horses.
They know that 67% of horses slaughtered in Canada in 2011 were from the U.S. So HWAC can also benefit hugely if funding is provided to build this program. It would be an immense win-win for Bill desBarres and Sue Wallis - ensure Canada meets its traceability obligations with the EU, sustain and grow North America's horse slaughter industry AND partner with AAFC and potentially receive an input of millions of Canadian taxpayer dollars.
Conclusion
First, the CHDC is alarmed that HWAC has been recognized by Equine Canada and the provincial horse federations as their partner for horse welfare in Canada. The group makes known their alliance with American extreme pro-slaughter groups International Equine Business Association, United Horsemen and United Organizations of the Horse.
It is believed that Bill desBarres, with his connections at the Alberta Equestrian Federation, was able to bring other provincial federations on board, under the guise of horse welfare. He's been able to position HWAC into an influential component and partner in Canada's horse slaughter industry, as well as aligning himself with the only active pro-slaughter group trying to restart horse slaughter in the U.S.
Now HWAC appears to be attempting to position itself to become a critical cog in the wheel that completes all the necessary components in Canada's requirements for continuing to send our horses' meat to consumers in the European Union, and beyond.
Will AAFC provide the necessary funding to HWAC? Bill DesBarres' call to action letter stresses the urgency of giving him the mandate to do so. Equine Canada has not been able to complete the job - HWAC says it has the means to be able to do so. If fact, they appear to be the ONLY solution that Canada has to try to meet its July 2013 traceability requirements.
This maneuvering, however, by HWAC could be a savvy but desperate attempt to continue sending North American horses to slaughter. Canadian horse owners are not interested in microchipping their horses to satisfy horse slaughter requirements. The majority of North Americans do not support this industry. Are horse owners going to pay to have their horses microchipped for this purpose? We are certain the answer is NO.
HWAC's attempts to receive funding, that Equine Canada was unable to obtain, may be successful. They may get the contract, along with their partners Animal ID Solutions and IEBA. They may benefit from millions of Canadian taxpayer dollars to try to develop their Equine Traceability Canada program. However the CHDC is certain that Canadian horse owners will not embrace this program, and indeed they have no need to. People who send their horses to slaughter are likely the ones that can no longer afford to keep them. Will they be the ones microchipping their horses at their own expense? We don't think so.
Also, Equine Canada’s suggestion that breed associations can be the solution for enhanced traceability may work for Canada’s registered horses. However, how many of Canada’s 1.1 million horses are registered? How many purebred registered horses end up in Canadian slaughter plants? True that Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds bred for racing, as well as Quarterhorses, make up a high percentage of horses slaughtered. In reality though, the large percentage of horses slaughtered are very likely unregistered.
Finally, how is this program supposed to work for U.S. slaughter bound horses entering Canada? Two-thirds of horses sent to slaughter in Canada in 2011 were from the U.S. Is Canada's traceability program going to work for U.S. horses? We all know the answer to that one is NO. How can IEBA or the other affiliated pro-slaughter groups get such a program working in the U.S. when they've been unable to secure partners or locations for horse slaughter in America? Perhaps Canada's HWAC is working to help that happen too.
Are you concerned about a pro-slaughter "horse welfare" organization taking the reins of a traceability program for Canada's equines? Your questions and comments can be directed to:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 1341 Baseline Road
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C5
Tel –613-773-1000
Toll-free –1-855-773-0241
Email –info@agr.gc.ca
In addition, you may wish to copy HWAC at:
Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada
Box 785
Cochrane, Alberta T4C 1A9
Email –gordmack@xplornet.ca
canadianhorsedefencecoalition | October 2, 2012 at 08:19 | Tags: AAFC, Animal ID Solutions, Bill Des Barres, CanEQUID, CHDC, desbarres, EID, Equine Canada, equine industry forum, equine information document, Equine traceability program, EU, horse slaughter, horses, HWAC, IEBA, livestock traceability, Slaughterhouse Sue, Sue Wallis, United Equine Lifetime Number, United Horsemen | Categories: Animal Cruelty, Articles of Interest, Essays, Horse Slaughter, Politics | URL:http://wp.me/pUJ26-15l
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New post on Tuesday's Horse
Horse meat protest at MoMA PS1 set for Saturday
by VGFarrell
INTRODUCTION On September 27, 2012, M. Wells Dinette opened their doors to the public at the premises of MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) PS1. The restaurant owners will reportedly serve horse meat -- raw horse meat. M. Wells has a history of serving horse meat; they sold it in a grilled sandwich combo at an [...]
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VGFarrell | Sep 28, 2012 at 4:59 pm | Tags: coalition to ban horse drawn carriages, horse meat is ugly, horse meat protest, long island city, m. wells dinette, MoMA PS1, new york, queens, toxic horse meat | Categories: Horse Slaughter | URL:http://wp.me/p6VVi-6Ff
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Saving America's Horses
--
Former Chief Inspector for the USDA, Dr. Friedlander joins as Advisory Board Member in SAVING AMERICA'S HORSES, the movie
Posted: 27 Sep 2012 11:15 AM PDT
Wild for Life Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept 27, 2012
Former Chief Inspector for the USDA, Dr Lester Friedlander joins as Advisory Board Member for SAVING AMERICA'S HORSES, the movie.
After blowing the whistle on the lack of enforcement of humane regulations inside U.S. slaughter plants, Dr Lester Friedlander was asked to leave the USDA. As highly regarded speaker, Dr. Friedlander has since continued his work independently striving to enlighten and educate the public. He is recognized in the Who's Who in Veterinary Science and Medicine, and for his work on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Federal Veterinarians in Washington DC and he had received numerous awards including USDA Certificates of Merit and Commendation and USDA Veterinary Trainer of the Year.
Veterinarian, Animal Welfare Advocate, Environmentalist, Researcher, Author and Lecturer, Lester Friedlander, DVM began his career as a farm veterinarian. Prior to working for the USDA, Dr. Friedlander worked as a horse racing veterinarian under the New York State Racing and Wagering Board. Dr. Friedlander then worked for over ten years as a Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer for the United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Inspection Service.
"We are honored to have Dr. Friedlander on the board of advisers for this important film," says Katia Louise, Filmmaker and President of the Wild for Life Foundation. "Dr. Friedlander is also a speaker in the film and recently appeared as a panel speaker at the film's showing at the AMC Kansas City International Film Festival."
SAVING AMERICA'S HORSES is an enlightening social experience rich in the history of how we as a society exist and share our world with other species that we respect and rely upon to survive. When we look at how we treat our horses we discover more about ourselves. This film is a brilliant and hard hitting exposé that reveals how the public has been misled by government agencies and corporate interests that run over the laws that are supposed to protect the horses, the public and the environment.
SAVING AMERICA'S HORSES is receiving rave reviews and has won multiple international awards, through the film festival circuit, but timing is pivotal for America’s horses; their very survival is at stake. That's why it's crucial to get SAVING AMERICA'S HORSES released this year.
You can help by supporting the 2012 Bi Coastal Theatrical Release of SAVING AMERICA'S HORSES on Indiegogo. Your donation will be matched now through midnight tomorrow, Sept 28th.
Donations can also be made and will continued to be accepted at the official film website at www.savingAmericasHorses.org.
SAVING AMERICA'S HORSES is an educational film project under Wild for Life Foundation, a 501 c3 charity dedicated to saving, protecting and preserving equines. Donations to Wild for Life Foundation are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Watch this clip:http://youtu.be/eNs0QF4tfXo
Learn more:http://www.SavingAmericasHorses.org
Contact:info@savingamericashorses.org
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New post on Tuesday's Horse
Christie signs bill into law banning horse slaughter in NJ
by VGFarrell
TRENTON—New Jersey enacted a measure to prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption. The new law also bans the transport of horses to slaughter, as well as the sale and transport of horse meat for human consumption. Introduced by Assemblyman Ronald Dancer (R-Cream Ridge) and Sen. Raymond J. Lesniak (D-Elizabeth), A.2023/S.1976 makes it illegal [...]
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VGFarrell | Sep 21, 2012 at 4:50 pm | Tags: governor christie, Horse Legislation, Horse Slaughter, new jersey | Categories: Horse Legislation, Horse Slaughter | URL:http://wp.me/p6VVi-6CR
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New post on Canadian Horse Defence Coalition's Blog
CHDC Alert for September 16, 2012
by canadianhorsedefencecoalition
Our latest Alert has been emmailed to our subscribers. Please view it here
canadianhorsedefencecoalition | September 17, 2012 at 06:44 | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/pUJ26-14i
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New post on Straight from the Horse's Heart
N.J. Horse Owners Urge Passage of State Anti-Horse Slaughter Bill
by R.T. Fitch
Several prominent New Jersey horse owners and advocates, including accomplished equestrian Jessica Springsteen (daughter of musician Bruce Springsteen) have joined the the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in supporting a state ban on the slaughter, transport, and sale of horses for human consumption by submitting a letter to Gov. Chris Christie urging him to sign this critical legislation into law.
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R.T. Fitch | September 17, 2012 at 7:44 AM | Tags: American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Bruce Springsteen, Chris Christie, Horse, Horse Slaughter, New Jersey | Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter | URL:http://wp.me/pyapj-4ut
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"Marge" redmm97
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Investigation Updates
September 13, 2012
Animals' Angels
PO Box 1056 Westminster, MD 21158
America's Heartland Means Misery for some Horses
Last month, Animals' Angels conducted an extensive two-week investigation across the Midwest leading them through Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota. Large scale kill buyers, so far widely unknown to the public, were found. These buyers have been quietly operating under the radar, violating the Commercial transport of Equines for Slaughter Regulations while shipping thousands of horses to their deaths each year. Animals' Angels decided it was time for their close-up.
Kalona, Iowa's motto is, 'Where time moves at a slower pace...' Unfortunately the same cannot be said for slaughter-bound horses entering the auction floor at the Kalona Sale Barn.

(Video from the Kalona, IA sale: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKa7ZyBBNfY&feature=em-uploademail)
Investigators were reminded just how risky their jobs can truly be on the morning of August 6, 2012. A driver of the auctioneer's truck suffered a medical emergency causing him to lose control over his vehicle and accelerate into a crowd of people standing outside the auction barn. Six people were struck, with one dying at the scene. Investigators barely escaped.
Once the emergency vehicles departed, it was back to business as usual at the auction. A long line of trucks were observed waiting to unload horses at the loading ramp. Loose horses were put into an outside pen area with signs stating they were to be sold "As Is". The majority of the horses appeared agitated, and was nervously pacing in the pen. Dominant horses were safeguarding the hay causing some horses to fight, kick and bite one another. Several horses appeared newly injured with fresh cuts and bite marks. Others were seen limping, had swollen legs, or were thin.
Keith Tongen's truck
Investigators checked parking areas for the presence of kill buyers. Scott Kurtenbach's truck and trailer from Lawler, IA and Keith Tongen's truck and trailer from Brownton, MN were quickly located.
After the riding horse sale ended, employees began readying the loose horses to go through the auction. One employee began removing the shoes from the horses, likely in preparation for their final destination, the slaughter plant, while another started moving the horses closer to the sale floor.
Inside the barn, an employee was seen harshly hitting the horses with a stick moving them toward a loud hydraulic gate which leads into the auction ring. Confused by the noise and panicked by the environment, the horses began taking their frustration out on each other.
Terrified horses continued to be pushed towards the gate, with several becoming crushed by the gate as they tried to enter. Some horses slammed into the gate or the metal tubing with such force that they appeared dazed after the collision.
Compared to the riding horses, the "loose" horses sold at an extremely accelerated rate, with a new horse entering the ring about every twenty seconds. The majority of these 350 horses were being fought over by only 3 bidders, the kill buyers.
After the sale ended, investigators watched as only Scott Kurtenbach and Keith Tongen's trucks were loaded. The remaining horses were moved back to the outside pens to stay for the night.
Watch the video from our Kalona auction visit...
(WARNING! VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES THAT MIGHT BE DISTURBING TO SOME VIEWERS.)
4 G Trucking loaded with horse
The following morning, investigators returned and spent the next 2 days documenting 4 G Trucking from Forest City, MO, Sweeting & Sons from Riverside, IA, and G. Nadeau Express from Ste-Apolline, Quebec loading horses and traveling south to Oklahoma as well as north to Canada.
Minnesota
The investigation continued at the collecting station of Keith Tongen. Tongenships about 3,600 horses annually to slaughter, and is a repeat offender of the Commercial Transport of Equines for Slaughter Regulation. You may remember that he and James Anderson made the news in October, 2007, when his double decker tipped over carrying 59 Belgians, killing 18 of them.
Investigators found about 60 horses (most with their auction tags still attached) gathered around hay feeders at his feedlot in Brownton, MN. The majority of the horses appeared in good condition, with the exception of a chestnut mare that had an open wound on her right shoulder. Investigators watched the property for several hours, but there was no activity.
Iowa
Scott Kurtenbach has been shipping thousands of horses a year to slaughter. Also a serious violator of transport law, his offenses include shipping horses unable to bear weight on all four-legs, those with large cuts/severe injuries, and one which was condemned at the plant for gangrene and septicemia.
At his collecting station in Lawler, IA, on August 9, 2012, investigators observed dry lots containing about 120 horses. Several of the pens were greatly over-crowded, with horses barely having enough room to move around.
There was quite a bit of commotion, with trucks coming and going, and horses being moved. Disturbingly,investigators discovered what appeared to be a pile of horse bones discarded in a shallow ditch next to his property. Kurtenbach hasn't slowed down since he started, and investigators will continue to monitor his activity.
South Dakota
Mike O'Connell is a kill buyer out of Mobridge, SD that has been buying horses at auctions across the Midwest/Southwest for 40 years. Investigators observed approximately 50 horses and a few goats contained within his run-down, trash-infested collecting station. Investigators could easily determine that several horses appeared thin. In surrounding fields, many pregnant mares were seen with foals nursing at their sides. The fields contained debris which puts the horses, especially the curious foals, at risk of obtaining serious injuries.
Randy & Tanner Musick operate Musick Livestock in Mitchell, SD. The Musick's have been in the slaughter business for a long time, and are no strangers to transport violations. Greeting investigators at their collecting station was a large horse statue and sign reading, "Horses Bought Daily".
Approximately 50 horses were seen standing amid manure piles in the pen area and surrounding fields. Several horses were thin, and had scratches or bite marks. When investigators arrived the next morning, one truck and double deck trailer observed the day before was gone, and fewer horses were counted.
In conclusion:
The Midwest provides a steady stream of inventory for kill buyers and others in the horse slaughter business. Animals' Angels will increase our presence, and give it the full attention it deserves.
Read the full length report about this investigation...
9 CFR Part 88 - Clearly defined, Clearly violate
The Commercial Transport of Equines to Slaughter Regulation clearly states that the trailers hauling slaughter horses have to be designed, constructed, and maintained in a manner that at all times protects the health and well-being of the equines being transported. On October 7, 2011 it became illegal to transport slaughter horses on both levels of a double deck trailer anytime, anywhere.
Above vehicle safety requirements, an owner/shipper must also abide by the minimum standards of humane treatment for slaughter horses. Adequate food, water, and at least 6 hours of rest are required before loading, and horses may not be confined inside of a trailer for longer than 28 hours. Stallions and other aggressive horses must be segregated from the rest of the shipment, downed horses must be euthanized if incapable of standing, and dead horses must be reported to APHIS.
The owner/shipper must complete the VS Form 10-13 (Fitness to Travel to a Slaughter Facility) in its entirety, to include the boxes swearing that each horse can bear weight on all four legs, walk unassisted, is not blind in both eyes, is over 6 months of age, and is not likely to give birth during transport. They must also state the date, time, and location the horses were loaded onto the truck, as well as their destination. Backtags must be physically applied to each horse in the shipment, and must match the detailed description of the horse on the form.
Animals' Angels recently received a list of violations via FOIA request from a one-month period at a Canadian slaughter plant. Between February 2 and February 26, 2009, 25 loads of horses were received from the US and subsequently slaughtered.
While there is nothing unusual about this data, it's the chilling evidence in the details that brings alarm. 13 horses were missing or not accounted for in the loads, and 11 horses were condemned (melanoma/colic/pneumonia/positive STOP test/serious atrophy of fat). 5 horses were down on trailers (one euthanized), and 3 died in holding pens. At least 3 full loads traveled longer than 28 hours, and 11 horses arrived either completely blind, injured or severely weak.
The following comments are examples of what can be found in the documents:
"One horse, backtag 1102, significant proud flesh LH, front leg injury - sent to slaughter."
"Horse down on trailer, vet dispatched to assess. Horse euthanized and removed, load resealed."
"1 horse had hoof outside of trailer."
"1 horse - USEA2866 - blind in both eyes, not segregated."
"1 horse not on certificate (USEA2871) killed on Feb. 5 and held in cooler jail."
"One horse with laceration of LF below carpus - USET4963 killed immediately."
"1 bay horse, favoring LH when unloaded - on PM (postmortem) has extensive bruising of hip. Hip removed."
Over 40 VS Form 10-13 errors, too many to list, here are a few:
"Of the 21 horses on the certificate with the correct backtag numbers listed, the descriptions are wrong on 9." "30 animals on certificate. 1 died. 1 left at rest stop. 7 descriptions do not match actual horses rec'd.""42 horses on certificate. Only 36 arrived."
Trailer/transport condition violations were also noted. Here are 2 comments regarding the transport that particularly stood out to us:
"Partition gate of trailer had blood over both sides, opening in middle of partition area of entrapment. Cables along walls of trailer loose."
"4 draft horses in front compartment, not enough head room."
What is not mentioned in any of the documents, is an indication of punishment or follow up from US authorities regarding most of these clear violations of the regulation. In fact, in the FOIA record one IES investigator asks the other sharing the evidence with him: "Please explain where you got exhibit 9? " (Documents in question) and continues: "There is very little information that is mailed to IES from Canada to conduct an investigation."
Without efficient enforcement of the Commercial Transport of Equines to Slaughter Regulations, horses will continue to be left without protection. USDA and CFIA need to tighten cross-border communications with each other and increase the amount of evidence being shared among officials, veterinarians and plant personnel alike.
All transport violations documented at the Canadian plants should be photographed and all pictures, affidavits and other evidence should be mailed to USDA immediately. Until better cooperation can occur, the effectiveness of the regulations will continue to remain questionable.
Animals' Angels will continue to monitor these violators, and violations.
In this issue
1. America's Heartland means misery for some horses
2. 9 CFR Part 88 - Clearly defined, clearly violated
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Thank you so much.www.animalsangels.org
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About us
Animals' Angels works to improve conditions for farm animals. We closely cooperate with law enforcement and government agencies to fight animal cruelty. Our investigators are out in the field nationwide, visiting auctions, feedlots and slaughter plants.
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Westminster, MD 21158
410-848-3153www.animalsangels.orginfo@animalsangels.org
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"JulesStJohn" dekalbpoet Please CONTACT THE USDA: 1-888-674-6854, REQUEST TO ADD THE RIDER TO HR2112 for fiscal year 2012
by Dekalb Poet on Monday, September 10, 2012 at 2:15pm ·
"IT IS THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE TO ADD THE RIDER TO HR2112, FISCAL YEAR 2012,
DE-FUNDING USDA INSPECTIONS OF EQUINES INTENDED FOR SLAUGHTER FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION." THANK YOU.
The money the U.S. TAXPAYER/VOTER saves by adding the rider to HR2112 FY2012, defunding public funding for USDA inspections, can be used for U.S. SOUP KITCHENS; U.S. PUBLIC SCHOOL CAFETERIAS; U.S. FEDERAL EQUINE RESCUES, ETC. TIME TO TAKE CARE OF THE U.S. VOTER NOW, NOT SOME BELGIUM EURO-CRAT MEGALOMANIAC who can't even VOTE in our Country.
WE THE PEOPLE WILL NOT BUY LUNCH FOR BELGIUM, when we can't even hardly feed our selves. Glutation without representation. Here in AMERICA: We do not eat horses. And we are not paying for the inspections of any equine for the purpose of live slaughter for human consumption...not on our meal ticket, USDA. Please add the rider to HR2112 FY2012, Prohibiting public funding of USDA inspections of equines intended for slaughter for human consumption.
THANK YOU!
Julian St.John,
U.S. VOTER,
DEKALB, IL.
USADEKALBPOET@YAHOO.COM
(815) 508-1239 OK TO LEAVE MESSAGE.

Jane Velez-Mitchell had a piece on her show last nite on headline news, showing all the Canadian horses going to slaughter and all potential ones that will go. Mainly her emphasis was on the race horse industry. The race trackss make their money on casinos and the government is considering taking out the gambling. If so, the tracks will fail. Horses will be a surplus and the owners will send them to die and write them off on their taxes. PETA is getting involved, it is so bad. She showed trucks full of horses on their way to die. I wrote her and told her it was just the tip of the ice berg. She is awesome in relating animal abuse and all the unnecessary killing.
this is one of her websites... she is also on facebook and twitter..www.hlntv.com/shows/jane-velez-mitchell

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New post on Tuesday's Horse
Walking Horse Celebration war of words, soring and slaughter
by VGFarrell
What do horse soring and horse slaughter have in common? It may not be the first thing that springs to mind, or even the second. I am referring to the Horse Protection Act. I just read the article about the continuing war of words among the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the United [...]
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VGFarrell | Sep 7, 2012 at 4:22 pm | Tags: ahspa 2011, horse protection act, Horse Slaughter, Horse Soring, national celebration, tennessee walking horses, usda funding, usda inspections | Categories: Horse Legislation, Horse Slaughter, Horse Soring | URL: http://wp.me/p6VVi-6uK
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EUROPEANS LOSE APPETITE FOR HORSE MEAT
Our "Horse Meat is Ugly" campaign launched in June in Belgium and France, and will begin in earnest in Italy next week.
Data shows that Europeans are losing an appetite for horse meat because of the information we are getting to them, in person and from their own people.
The "Horse Meat is Ugly" campaign collected and delivered nearly 10,000 signed postcards in the past two months calling on the EU to ban the import of horse meat where slaughter horses are not raised for the purpose of human consumption. Research says there is only one country that raises and kills its own horses to eat them, and that is Iceland.
Other great news from this campaign is that some countries are not waiting on the EU, such as Russia, and beginning to refuse horse meat from N. America.
It is our intent to tackle Spain next. Spain sends 5,000 horses "on and off the hook" to slaughter per month and regard it as a necessary money spinner.
Can you help?
Please make a donation to our "Horse Meat is Ugly" campaign. Donations are 100% tax deductible as provided by law.
Something else to consider is this. When we are able to raise at least half of the money we need to fund a program, this attracts matching gift donors.
So please, give if you can.
If you have already given, we express great gratitude.
Warm regards,
Vivian Grant Farrell
Founding Presidenthttp://www.horsefund.orghttp://www.horsecharities.org
Other Campaign Giving
Kill Racing Not Horses | Premstoppers

Today's News
As you will recall, when Three Angels was shut down, they started hauling under Terri's Farm. Terri's farm has now been shut down.
This is a USDOT press release issued today.http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2012/fmcsa2112.html
U.S. Department of Transportation Orders Terri's Farm to Shut Down
FMCSA finds company reincarnation of out-of-service truck company
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has ordered Tennessee-based truck company Terri's Farm to immediately cease all interstate transportation services based on evidence that it was a chameleon operation for an unsafe truck company previously shut down by the agency.
"Safety is our top priority," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "Truck companies that choose not to operate safely have no place on our nation's roadways."
Following a thorough review of the company's operations, FMCSA shut down Terri's Farm after finding that it was operating the same vehicles, and maintaining the same operational and safety management structure as former horse transporter Three Angels Farms.
On June 29, 2012, FMCSA ordered Three Angels Farms, its officers and vehicles out of service after safety investigators found multiple safety infractions that substantially increased the likelihood of serious injury to the traveling public. Among the findings, investigators discovered that the company permitted its drivers to operate commercial motor vehicles without commercial driver's licenses and did not conduct proper controlled substances testing of its drivers. Additionally, during the past eight months, the former Three Angels Farms had two accidents involving poorly maintained vehicles and fatigued or disqualified drivers, which resulted in the deaths of four horses.
"Today's action is another step toward raising the bar for commercial vehicle and roadway safety," said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. "It sends a strong and important message that companies who attempt to evade safety regulations by reincarnating will be found and removed from the road."
In keeping with the department's commitment to safety, on May 31, as the result of a year-long investigation, FMCSA announced that it had shut down 26 commercial motorcoach operations, declaring them imminent hazards to public safety. This action was the largest single crackdown in the agency's history. Over the last several years the Department of Transportation has taken aggressive efforts to strengthen motorcoach safety and enforcement, doubling the number of inspections of the nation's estimated 4,000 passenger bus companies.
A copy of the imminent hazard out-of-service order can be viewed at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/about/news/2012/Terri-Farm-IH-Order-signed.pdf
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Hometown City Council Gives Thumbs Down to UH President’s Horse Slaughter Fantasy

Vicki Tobin
630.961.9292vicki@equinewelfarealliance.org
--
Testing Finds More Contaminated Horse Meat
Chicago (EWA) - Following a ban funding for USDA inspections, and state legislation in Texas and Illinois, the last three horse slaughter plants in the US were closed in 2007. The result was that the horses were shipped to Canada and Mexico for slaughter. Last year the prohibition on funding was lifted, but now the very market for the meat from US horses is in question.
As the debate rages about the reintroduction of horse slaughter to the US, documents continue to leak out that indicate a major change in the testing of meat from US horses both in the European Union (EU) where the meat is largely consumed, and in Canada where many of the horses are slaughtered. For years, the EU has been tightening traceability of horse meat it produced domestically while apparently turning a blind eye to drug residues in imported meat.
Equine advocates have long claimed that since US horses were not raised as food animals, and since they were commonly medicated with prohibited substances, their meat could not be safe.
A research paper published in Elsevier's Food and Chemical Toxicology in 2010 titled Association of phenylbutazone usage in horses bought for slaughter; A public health risk, traced 18 slaughtered thoroughbred race horses using racing records and found all had been given the banned carcinogen phenylbutazone. The paper went on to point out that the testing of fat samples, as had been done by the USDA for years, was unlikely to ever detect the drug, and it suggested that the kidney was the appropriate tissue to test.
In December of 2010, the EU released reports on US horses slaughtered in Canada and Mexico revealing banned substances were found as well as falsified paperwork stating the horses were drug free.
The first indication that more effective testing was being done came from a report of contaminated chilled horse meat imported from the UK. This was followed on July 27th by a report of frozen horse meat from Canada that contained phenylbutazone in three samples and clenbuterol in a forth.
Most recently, a July 9th warning letter from the FDA department of Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement and Criminal Investigations, to a "kill buyer" named Ronald Andio shows the FDA has now become involved. The letter describes an FDA investigation of Andio's operation after a thoroughbred gelding that he sent to Canada for slaughter in August of 2011 was found to contain phenylbutazone residues.
The Andio letter also confirmed that Andio had indicated a clean drug history for the horse on its EID (Equine Information Document) without even asking the owner he bought it from. The EWA had warned the EU authorities that these documents would be ineffective and had even supplied photocopies of blank documents signed by sellers at the New Holland auction.
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EU Report Links
Canada: http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/uploads/EU_FVO_Inspection_Report_Canada_2010.pdf
Mexico: http://www.animalsangels.org/images/stories/pdf/fvo%20inspection%20at%20mexican%20plants%20december%202010.pdf
UK Link: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/portal/index.cfm?event=notificationDetail&NOTIF_REFERENCE=2012.1078
Warning Letter Link: http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2012/ucm313462.htm
The Equine Welfare Alliance is a dues-free 501c4, umbrella organization with over 250 member organizations and over 1,000 individual members worldwide in 18 countries. The organization focuses its efforts on the welfare of all equines and the preservation of wild equids.www.equinewelfarealliance.orghttps://www.facebook.com/EquineWelfareAlliancehttps://twitter.com/EquineWelfareAl
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New post on Habitat for Horses
An Open Invitation to the AQHA
by Jerry Finch
A Senator of a certain state, who will remain anonymous, challenged me to sit down with some of the decision makers in the slaughter industry and try to work things out. “There is an amazing amount of distrust between you folks,” he said, “and both of you are coming to me with a ton of facts that completely oppose each other. Is there any possibility that you could work together to find a solution?”
I would like nothing better. A big, round table, coffee cups filled, notepads ready, we could seriously discuss the future of thousands of horses. Is that a possible scenario? Would it be possible to bring the pro and anti slaughter forces together in a manner that would actually lead to a few resolutions that would be acceptable to each other and good for the horses?
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Jerry Finch | August 26, 2012 at 9:52 am | Tags: AQHA, horse slaughterhouses, money, slaughter | Categories: Horse Slaughter | URL: http://wp.me/p2xPqi-HD
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New post on Straight from the Horse's Heart
TPWD Releases Photos of “Executed” Horses
by R.T. Fitch
HOUSTON, (Horseback) – Texas Parks and Wildlife, the state agency charged with the welfare of animals in their natural habitat didn’t have enough respect for 11 domestic horses to give them a quick and painless death. Instead, on the orders of park superintendent Barrett Darst of Big Bend Ranch State Park, the horses, mares and foals, were sent to a painful slaughter, Mexico style.
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R.T. Fitch | August 25, 2012 at 6:30 AM | Tags: Big Bend Ranch State Park, Horse, Horse Slaughter, Horseback Magazine, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department | Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter | URL: http://wp.me/pyapj-4je
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Horse Slaughter: The Money Trail Hall of Shame
From left to right: ex-US Senator and AQHA lobbyist Conrad Burns, Reps. Bob Goodlatte and Jack Kingston, Senators Roy Blunt and Herb Kohl,
ex-US Senator Larry Craig, and horsemeat lobbyist “Chuck” Stenholm.
In all fairness, horse slaughter lobbyist Sue Wallis has gained in her own right a seat in the Hall of Shame despite not being a federal legislator.
New post on Habitat for Horses
Horse Slaughter: The Money Trail
by Jerry Finch
The trail of blood money, from the political machinery within the beltway to the lobby promoters to the national and state organization to the fake non-profits to the breed associations lead straight to the doorstep of the AQHA. The workers are the roughly 60 killer-buyers that do the dirty work while the others rake in the benefits. The money from the actual slaughter process is about as much as would be made by a large used car lot, but the ever increasing circle of involvement up the trail of money involves millions upon millions of dollars.
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Jerry Finch | August 25, 2012 at 8:22 am | Tags: AAEP, AQHA, AVMA, Congress, equine veterinarian, horse slaughterhouses, money, slaughter | Categories: Horse Slaughter | URL: http://wp.me/p2xPqi-Hs
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New post on Canadian Horse Defence Coalition's Blog
Putting Horsemeat on the Table – Canadian Influences and Enablers
by canadianhorsedefencecoalition
Posted on August 21, 2012 by heatherclemenceau
For some time now, after seeing the Infographic created by Republic of Horse – “Slaughter: Industry Influences on Government,” I have known that we needed a similar graphic to represent those influencers and enablers in Canada.
While some of the associations that have been mapped out in the following Canadian infographic do not directly enable horse slaughter, they are complicit in that they are silent against the practice. At the very least they seem intent on preserving the status quo and ignoring the very real threats created not only by horse slaughter, but by the power of Big-Ag lobbyists and governments who are willing to be influenced by them and their client base.http://heatherclemenceau.wordpress.com/2012/08/21/putting-horsemeat-on-the-table-canadian-influences-and-enablers-infographic/
canadianhorsedefencecoalition | August 23, 2012 at 12:48 | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/pUJ26-11W
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New post on Canadian Horse Defence Coalition's Blog
Horsemeat: A Delicacy to Die For?
by canadianhorsedefencecoalition
For Immediate Release August 22, 2012:
Horsemeat: A Delicacy to Die For?
Orangeville, Ontario: On July 9, 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent a warning letter to an Ohio feedlot operator who sells horses for slaughter. The man was duly reprimanded for selling a drug-tainted thoroughbred horse to a Canadian slaughterhouse. Evidently, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency had conducted tests on the carcass of the horse in August 2011, and had found phenylbutazone in the muscle and kidney tissues of this animal, as well as clenbuterol in the tissues of the eye:
FDA Letter.
The CFIA acted responsibly by subsequently reporting this finding to the USDA, and no doubt the discovery would have further bolstered the Canadian agency's ongoing claims of running an effective system and ensuring the safety of the food supply. However, what is not readily brought to the public eye is the fact that the CFIA's rate of phenylbutazone testing on horse carcasses is an abysmal 0.152% (143 samples taken on 93,812 horses in 2009).
"With such random, scanty testing protocols in place, one can only imagine how many drug-positive horses slip through the cracks," states Sinikka Crosland, Executive Director of the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition.
Phenylbutazone is a drug that is deadly to humans when ingested. It is a carcinogen and is linked to aplastic anemia, with children being most vulnerable. Clenbuterol is known to cause gross tremors of the extremities, tachycardia, nausea, headaches and dizziness. Neither drug is permitted to be administered to horses destined for human consumption.
At the very least, the CFIA should mandate drug testing on every horse carcass that leaves Canadian slaughterhouses bound for dinner plates abroad and to our own province of Quebec.
However, banning the slaughter of horses, our companion animals and working partners, would be the logical solution to preventing deadly drugs from entering the food chain. As well, it would stop the systemic abuse of horses as they move from auctions to feedlots to slaughter, as has been reported by the CHDC in various investigative reports since 2008.
- 30 -
For more information:
Feedlot report.
Horse slaughter footage (use drop-down menu on INVESTIGATIONS tab) info@defendhorsescanada.org
Ph(cell): 250.681.1408
canadianhorsedefencecoalition | August 22, 2012 at 06:58 | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/pUJ26-11P
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Today's News http://equinewelfarealliance.org/uploads/EWA-WHFF_Investigative_team-final.pdf
August 23, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
John Holland
Equine Welfare Alliance
540.268.5693john@equinewelfarealliance.org
R.T. Fitch
Wild Horse Freedom Federation
800.974.3684rtfitch@wildhorsefreedomfederation.org
Equine Advocacy Organizations Form Partnership with Cruelty Investigators
Chicago (EWA) - Wild Horse Freedom Federation (WHFF) and Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) have announced a new working relationship with a team of professional undercover cruelty investigators. This new alliance will increase WHFF and EWA's ability to inform law enforcement, lawmakers, the media and the public regarding all forms of cruelty to domestic and wild equines.
Hard-nosed and effective, with a history of these successful investigations focused primarily on equine cruelty related to the horse slaughter pipeline, the work of the investigators has assisted enforcement agencies and exposed numerous inhumane conditions inherent to the horse slaughter world.
Their investigation of Three Angels Farms, already notorious for two recent accidents, revealed numerous blatant on-going transportation violations. The report has been widely used throughout the equine welfare community, publications and the TV news media.
"Investigations are a critical element in establishing equine welfare", said EWA President John Holland, "This partnership will allow us to better share resources and information and help coordinate our overall efforts on the most critical situations."
Holland points out that the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (CHDC) has a similar relationship to arguably one of the most impressive undercover investigation programs in the world. That effort has provided video of horrific abuses in the major Canadian horse slaughter plants.
One member of the team, a certified cruelty investigator, is looking forward to branching out to investigations and observations of wild horses and burros.
EWA and WHFF are honored to be working with such high caliber investigators in their effort to provide documentation that will help to end the cruel practices surrounding slaughter of American horses and to help protect America's wild horses and burros.
Author and president of WHFF adds, "The central heart and core of Wild Horse Freedom Federation is to initiate responsible legal defense of our treasured horses and burros; this cannot be accomplished without quality, rock solid evidence and documentation. We are delighted that these professionals have joined our team and, hopefully, will aide us in securing the safety and future welfare of our American equines both domestic and wild."
Donations can be made through either website that will direct donations to a separate fund established by WHFF, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, ensuring 100% of donations will be used strictly for investigations.
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The Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) is a dues-free 501c4, umbrella organization with over 250 member organizations and hundreds of individual members worldwide in 18 countries. The organization focuses its efforts on the welfare of all equines and the preservation of wild equids.http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/
Wild Horse Freedom Federation (WHFF) is a registered, Texas non-profit corporation with federal 501c3 standing. WHFF puts people between America's wild equids and extinction through targeted litigation against governmental agencies whose documented agendas include the eradication of wild horse and burros from public, federal and state lands. WHFF is funded exclusively through the generosity of the American public.http://wildhorsefreedomfederation.org/
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Fw: Pledge to Spread the Word about Horse Slaughter
Stop Horse Slaughter In the USA
Posted by Jo Deibel (cause leader)
pledge
Pledge to Spread the Word about Horse Slaughter
I pledge to tell at least 1 person a day about horse slaughter!
Take the Pledge
Each year over 130,000 American horses are shipped to be brutally slaughtered in Mexico and Canada to feed human consumers. That number is LESS than 1% of the total USA horse population of 9 million horses. A number that can be reduced to zero by responsible breeding, responsible horse... See more
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Saving America's Horses
--
Stand United for the Horses
Posted: 20 Aug 2012 07:29 PM PDT
Wild for Life Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
August 21, 2012
Wild for Life Foundation and Animal Law Coalition are calling on all horse advocates to keep the safety and the welfare of America's horses as their 1st priority during the election.
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act is bi-partisan bill that will protect America's wild and domestic equines from cruel and barbaric slaughter. The bill has support among both Republicans and Democrats, and among members of President Obama’s administration and also those working on Gov. Romney’s campaign. Regardless of who is elected, we will reach out and make every effort to work with the president and members of Congress to pass this bill.
We are not suggesting you should not support horse friendly candidates. You certainly should! But let’s not let politics or differences on other issues divide us on this very important effort to stop slaughter and protect America’s wild and domestic equines. “As the Lake Research Partners poll established, 80% of Americans oppose horse slaughter,” said Laura Allen, Founder, Animal Law Coalition. “Let’s focus on making sure the candidates know this and why the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act should become law.”
Now more than ever, we need to multiply support and momentum to help the horses. The horses cannot afford to lose any ground. Wild for Life Foundation and the SAVING AMERICA'S HORSES Initiative has worked hard over the past several years to unite advocates from both camps; the two biggest equine welfare issues in America - "slaughter" and "wild horse". There are currently more horse advocates and groups collaborating efforts for the horses than ever before. "We simply must stay united for the horses," says Katia Louise, President, Wild for Life Foundation.
STAND TOGETHER FOR THE HORSES. STAND WITH US.
You can help support The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, SB1176 and HR2966 by contacting your policymaker(s) with an automated email. Click here to follow this link.
Share the "UNITED WE STAND" banner on your website, on your social media pages and with your email network. The efforts to save American’s horses are bi-partisan and we need to keep them that way.
More ways to help: http://www.savingamericashorses.org/how2help.html
Learn more: www.SavingAmericasHorses.org
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In Canada’s vast Prairie provinces lie hundreds of feedlots, many of which hold thousands of horses destined for slaughter.

Whether they are cast-off PMU mares and foals, former Mennonite/Amish work horses, breeders’ excess stock, former rodeo horses or from horse dealers through rural auctions, many languish in Alberta feedlots in close proximity to Bouvry Exports, Canada’s largest horse slaughter plant.

This CHDC report exposes the common conditions inside these factory farm lots for horses.

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New post on Straight from the Horse's Heart
Horse Slaughter Applicant Gives Up After Being Fined $86,400 For Mountain of Dead Animals on Property
by R.T. Fitch
Roswell, New Mexico, August 15 -- When the first applicant for an American horse slaughterhouse operation surfaced earlier this year, Front Range Equine Rescue (FRER) immediately investigated in order to determine the nature of the applicant’s business. FRER discovered that the applicant, Valley Meat Company, had a fifteen-foot high pile of dead cattle rotting on its property, creating a health hazard for the community and placing into serious question the operator’s ability to start up his new operation, slaughtering former American companion, work and competition horses for human consumption. Pictures of the pile taken by both state and federal officials showed a horrific sight. FRER determined that Valley Meat had been in violation of New Mexico law for years, specifically because its owners had been maintaining this massive public health and safety hazard on their property, without any proper or responsible abatement.
FRER presented extensive documentation to the state Environmental Board, urging the state to take a careful look at Valley Meat’s operation. In response the state Environmental Board, and its Solid Waste division, undertook a detailed evaluation which this week resulted in a finding that Valley Meat was in grave violation of the solid waste laws, and that it should be fined $86,400 for what amounts to one of the highest penalties for a solid waste violation issued in New Mexico.
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R.T. Fitch | August 15, 2012 at 4:17 PM | Tags: Horse, Horse Slaughter, horsemeat, New Mexico, Valley Meats | Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter | URL: http://wp.me/pyapj-4be
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WordPress.comBLM doesn’t ship them to slaughter, technically.
There is a loophole called “sale authority” that allows bulk sales to dealers.
The dealers ship them.
Semantics game.
“Sale authority” needs to be repealed.
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New post on Tuesday's Horse
Mustangs, rescued from kill pen, find refuge at Va sanctuary
by VGFarrell
Cross-posted from American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) insists that the horses the agency captures and brands do not go to slaughter. But the BLM knows, and the slaughter industry knows, that this is not the case. The lie was exposed by none other than an official for a Canadian [...]
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VGFarrell | Aug 13, 2012 at 10:21 am | Tags: blm, carol poole, Horse Slaughter, mustang freedom foundation, Wild Horses | Categories: Wild Horses | URL: http://wp.me/p6VVi-6cm
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"Marge" redmm97
Equine Welfare Alliance
....Tales from the Darkside
They came from Beyond...
With the recent regulations released by the EU we are all anxiously waiting for the spin Wallis will give the news. No doubt, it will be a gem. In the meantime, I wanted to share a few comments I came across from the darkside. I have omitted the names to protect the ill-informed slaughter activists. I'm not in the mood to write an editorial but these spurts of genius from the darkside were too good not to share. Following that are a few questions I have for all of you.
It is mind boggling that they still don't understand what banned means. How can they not understand the meaning of a drug being banned in food animals? How can they not understand that banned means there is no acceptable use or withdrawal time?
Sit back and enjoy.
Poster: Where are they getting their info that bute "never" leaves a horse's body??? There is a breakdown and withdrawl period, if there wasn't all horses would end up overdosed on it before long, and the first dose would be the only dose they need. Looks like a biased report to me, if there is no market then why is Mexico exporting so much????
Since when are regulations considered a bias report? She obviously doesn't know the difference between a report and food safety regulations. A report is an account, based on observations or investigations. Regulations are laws or rules that must be followed. I know that it is hard to comprehend but there is a difference. In this particular case, it is regulations issued by the EU.
The medical professionals have determined, based on extensive research, that bute is not acceptable at any level. Our FDA has also arrived at this conclusion. This poster obviously never heard of metabolites nor has she read any of the EU reports. Oh wait, that would be because Wallis never shares facts with her supporters. She keeps them in the dark like mushrooms and only feeds them misinformation - that as of late - is nothing but drama and untruths. And they talk about us being emotional!
Let's scare everyone over to the darkside. The sky is falling, the sky is falling said the little mushroom minions. If Wallis tells them it's 1800 and Americans are eating horse meat, it must be true. Let's take the word of a community college teacher that we can test for bute with a blood test. Who cares what the medical doctors say, they are wrong. And we'll embarrass ourselves with a lame attempt at disputing a published drug paper and use that as a source. Let's link to report about livestock slaughter on a dead website that has nothing to do with horses - no one will notice. And to really hammer home the propaganda, let's compare the mushroom minions to Samson and Goliath. That will really score us points!
Poster: shall I reposted with my thoughts. It made me very, very angry. My horse made a 30 hour long drive to canada because of where feedlots are located. If they were open in the u.s. it wouldnt be like that! Our horses suffer longer because of these morons. Like to know how they can say every horse gets bute someday. BULLSH**! Only used it once ever on a horse and owned them since I was 12. Everything has a withdrawal period, even the worst medications that are the most dangerous!
Such drama! Does she not realize there are feedlots in the US and the long trip was most likely across the US with the same distances as when the US plants were open?
There are no acceptable withdrawal times in drugs that are banned in food animals. You can swear all you want and debate it until the cows come home but it won't change food safety laws. There is no getting around them. Deal with it. BTW-where did you obtain your medical degree?
Poster: Consider the source,RT Fitch,enough said
Sorry to burst your bubble, Poster, but the source isn't RT, it's the European Union. RT was merely reporting the news. Disliking RT isn't going to change the regulations.
Poster: Well, even after receipt of the letter from the NM Horse Council, Governor Martinez is still steadfastly against horse slaughter.
And why would a letter from a pro slaughter horse council change the mind of anyone? Maybe this will make sense:
Whereas, People make decisions on facts, not on false statements contained in in a non-binding, worthless "resolution".
Whereas, only the uninformed, too lazy to do research on their own individuals would be swayed by information that has already been proven wrong. Remember you can only spoon-feed this stuff to the mushroom minions.
Whereas, the council totally ignored that the NM plant they are all touting was shut down for inhumane treatment of slaughter animals. And that is a prime example of the "humane and regulated" that they want to bring to US soil for horses. More mushrooms.
Whereas, Governor Martinez should be commended for taking a stand for the right reasons and sticking to it.
Questions:
Wallis claims she is going to restore the horse industry.
Has anyone ever seen her state how she is going to do this?
How killing horses is going to restore the horse industry?
Isn't the only segment of the horse industry that would benefit be the breeders dumping their culls?
Doesn't the horse industry need live horses to run races, perform, etc.?
I have been trying to think of how the horse industry uses dead horses or an event using dead horses and for the life of me, I can't think of one.
About the only statement I've seen is that horse slaughter will bring back the floor price (i.e. salvage value) by setting the low end for horses. I have two questions.
1) Why would we let a foreign meat business set the floor for a US industry that doesn't produce meat?
2) Have any of you bought a horse and paid by the pound? I've never heard of any such thing. Zenyatta's half-sister was sold for $1.5M in late 2011 (but the bottom has dropped out???). I wonder what the price per pound was.
3) Does anyone know the average price per pound at the yearling sales?
And last but not least...
Shortly after the mother of the mushroom minions publicly stated the discussion is over, we are opening a plant, many legal roadblocks were revealed. MoMM goes deadly silent on the subject other than to say she is moving full steam ahead. Don't you find it odd that the mushroom minions didn't even question her on the roadblocks? Public records are real and yet, MoMM spoke and they all moved on without blinking an eye.
Seriously, folks, can anyone really be that gullible?
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Today's News
PDF: http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/uploads/Vilsack-petition.pdf
August 3, 2012
To: Secretary Tom Vilsack cc: file
Re: Sue Wallis Petition
I am writing you today on behalf of the Equine Welfare Alliance, our member organizations and individual members to clarify the misinformation and blatant disregard for food safety laws provided in the petition submitted by Sue Wallis.
First and foremost, slaughter should not be used for any purpose other than food production. It is very clear that Ms. Wallis intends to use horse slaughter as a disposal service that will be paid for with our hard earned tax dollars. Our country can ill afford another welfare program.
No animal should be "dumped" into the food chain whether in the US or exported to foreign countries. US horses are not raised or regulated as food animals. There is no traceability and it is a travesty, that the US would even consider sending meat to foreign consumers that is known to be unsafe for human consumption. Two EU FVO reports are available [Mexico and Canada] that not only revealed banned substances in US horses but falsified paperwork stating the horses were drug free. Belgium recently released a notification of Phenylbutazone and Clenbuterol that was found in horse meat exported from Canada. Walk into any barn in the US and you will find some form of Phenylbutazone.
The callous disregard for food safety in US horses has Americans questioning the safety of our own food supply. Can our meat industry afford yet another black eye because of the irresponsibility of an insignificant small percentage of individuals that feel the government should be responsible for their horses? Less than 2% of the horse population is sent to slaughter.
Horse slaughter never ended and is as available [with virtually no regulation] as when he US plants were operating. In the decades that US horses have gone to slaughter, it has not prevented abuse, neglect or abandonment. Not only has it not controlled the horse population but encourages production of excess horses.
Horse slaughter is a symptom of an underlying cause. It's time to end horse slaughter and start addressing the cause of excess horses. Breeders that continually produce more horses than they can sell need to be held accountable for horses they bring into the population and not expect another government hand-out in addition to the tax breaks they already receive.
Please consider the government cost to implement a national passport system. According to the 2013 EU regulations, every horse must have a passport by July of next year. That will bring more tax burdens to every American, not just horse owners. Consider also the tax dollars that will be needed on a federal and state level for wastewater clean-up, litigation, law enforcement, trailer accidents not to mention the complete overhaul that is needed to fix the transport program. The cost of horse slaughter far exceeds the millions of dollars needed for inspections. It is clear from reports of contaminated food sources that we already need more inspectors for our own food supply.
I appreciate your time and sincerely hope that any requests for horse slaughter inspections will be denied.
Please feel free to contact me should you wish to discuss this in detail.
Thank you.
John Holland, President
540.268.5693
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(Note from Brandi: Allen’s newest white paper will have a full page on my website as soon as I have a chance to add it!)

Dear Friends & Colleagues,

The idea for this paper was born during dinner with Keith Dane of HSUS here in Seattle last Spring, with the idea that a different way to deal with the issue of equine slaughter is to legally remove horses from consideration as an agricultural product and part of the human food chain completely.

As I dug into this topic, frequently discussing it with my friend and neighbor up in Canada, Sinikka Crosland who lives with horses being slaughtered in her country daily, more and more thoughts an ideas emerged----one being that unless this can be accomplished in both countries concurrently horses from both will continue to die as we have seen in the past five years.

Mexico, with its culture that eats horse meat itself and in fact is the world's second largest consumer behind China, represents an entirely different challenge and that is also addressed in this paper.

We hope that you can find something of interest, and even better use in this paper, and also the series of articles written by my buddy Jerry Finch recently that accompany it.

My research introduced me to a man whose name I'd never heard before but is now one of my heroes, Frank Litts, and you will read about him here. May his determination to do what is right for our horses no matter what the cost live on in our own work.

Your thoughts and opinions are welcome, of course, and those of you with websites and blogs are free to use this paper or not as you see fit.

Chicago (EWA) - Despite dozens of articles about the imminent opening of a horse slaughter plant in Rockville, Missouri, EWA has learned that the plant is not opening anytime in the foreseeable future.

The announcement by Sue Wallis that the plant was undergoing renovation and would be open in September turns out to have been as premature and misleading as her earlier announcements in Wyoming and Mountain Grove, MO.

Wallis has not in fact purchased the plant, and cannot legally do so (had she the resources) because its ownership is entangled in a complex web of civil and criminal issues involving dubious deeds of trust through a shell company called Six Bears, and criminal theft charges against its Canadian operator Vincent Paletta.

Paletta had already been charged with two counts of felony stealing by deception when Wallis' announcement brought the plant to the attention of Mountain Grove attorney Cynthia MacPherson. It was MacPherson who uncovered the elaborate plan by the Palettas to protect the plant from creditors.

On behalf of one creditor, Elvin's Refrigeration, MacPherson has sued the Palettas, asking the court to block all transfers of the property until the ownership can be determined and creditors protected. The petition claims the Palettas violated MUFTA (Missouri Uniform Financial Transactions Act).

Elvin's has also filed a Nonconsensual Common Law Lien against the plant's owner charging that the Palettas fraudulently used bogus deeds of trust, and even sued themselves through their shell companies to protect their assets from creditors.

Although Wallis and her Missouri attorney Dan Erdel did form two new companies and have requested federal inspections, they do not own the plant for which the request was made thus rendering the filing moot. Moreover, records show that they have made no application to Missouri agencies for the required permits.

Undeterred, Wallis has already announced a plant in Oklahoma, where selling horse meat or possessing horse meat for sale is illegal. This announcement too has been widely reported as factual.

The Equine Welfare Alliance is a dues-free 501c4, umbrella organization with over 245 member organizations and hundreds of individual members worldwide in 18 countries. The organization focuses its efforts on the welfare of all equines and the preservation of wild equids.

"Barbara Anne Dunn" eldespejo
From: Persian Equine <notification+oglvohzf@facebookmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 10:35 AM
Subject: [PROTECTION & JUSTICE FOR ALL THE HORSES ON EARTH.] Here we go. Another news story about horse...
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Persian Equine posted in PROTECTION & JUSTICE FOR ALL THE HORSES ON EARTH.
Persian Equine 10:35am Jul 11
Here we go. Another news story about horse slaughter with Senator Mark Allen about bringing this "community killer" to Oklahoma. It is so very easy to comment below this video and story from KOCO Channel 5 and reporter Dan Thomas. We commented to make major corrections to Dan's reporting on horse slaughter as he is missing a lot of facts as most reporters are unfortunately. Comment and let them know how Oklahomans feel about killing horses on our soil AND ON OUR DIME!
Horse meat manufacturing plant could come to Oklahoma www.koco.com
Oklahoma City could soon have its first manufacturing plant to produce horse meat.
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“A.2023/S.1976 would make it illegal to slaughter horses for human consumption; ban the sale of horse meat or products derived from slaughtered horses; and ban the transport of horse meat or live horses for the purpose of slaughter.”

Just a reminder that it is not too late to call your U.S. Representative in support of maintaining a ban on using tax dollars to inspect horse slaughter facilities. Congress will vote on the FY2013 Agriculture Appropriations bill this week so your voice is critical. Please read the eAlert below and help take action today. Be sure to share this email with everyone you know as well as posting it on Facebook and Twitter.

The fight to protect America’s horses from a few individuals looking to profit from their suffering is far from over so we must continue to speak out loud and clear until horse slaughter is stopped completely.

Your Help is Needed to Prevent the Restoration of Horse Slaughter in the U.S.

Dear Humanitarian,

This week the House of Representatives will decide whether to block an unnecessary expansion of the federal government, save taxpayer dollars, and—of particular interest to humanitarians—protect horses from being cruelly slaughtered for human consumption.

On June 19, the House Appropriations Committee, by voice vote, approved an amendment to the FY2013 Agriculture Appropriations bill that prevents your tax dollars from being used to fund inspections of horse slaughter facilities. This bipartisan language had been included in every Agriculture Appropriations bill since 2005, until three legislators quietly removed it behind closed doors late last year. Without this important provision, foreign-owned companies will be able to reestablish horse slaughter in the United States at the expense of taxpayers, food safety, and the welfare of horses. In fact, representatives of such companies are already making rounds in the Midwest looking for a plant location.

At a time when Congress is dramatically cutting back federal spending, including $9 million from the agency that would be responsible for slaughter house inspections, and eliminating federal programs, it is disappointing that some in Congress want to revive an unpopular taxpayer-subsidized program that existed solely to support foreign-owned slaughter facilities that throughout their history have inflicted tremendous suffering on American horses.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

The full House of Representatives will vote on the FY2013 Agriculture Appropriations bill this week. An amendment may be offered to remove the Committee-approved language prohibiting the USDA from spending tax dollars to inspect horse slaughter facilities. Maintaining the currently included USDA language that expressly defunds inspections of horse slaughter facilities is vital to protecting our horses. It is critical that you call TODAY and urge your Representative to strongly OPPOSE ANY amendment to strike this language and facilitate the restoration of horse slaughter on American soil.

The majority of legislators have supported previous efforts to end horse slaughter. You can see your Representative's past votes on the issue by clicking here. If your Representative has supported previous amendments defunding horse slaughter inspections, mention that when you call and urge them to stand strong and oppose any effort to remove this funding ban.

You can call the main Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Representative's office, or visit AWI's Compassion Index to find your Representative's voting record and direct number. You can also send them an email directly via the
Compassion Index.

Please call your Representative immediately, urging opposition to any attempt to restore horse slaughter. Also be sure to share this Dear Humanitarian eAlert with friends, family and coworkers, and ask them to do the same.

As always, thank you for your continued and critical support on this important issue.

Sincerely,

Chris Heyde
Deputy Director
Government and Legal Affairs

P.S. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates on the action above and other important animal protection news.

House Appropriations Committee Approves Amendment Blocking Use of Tax Dollars

to Revive Horse Slaughter Industry in US

Washington, D.C. -- The language to disallow funding for inspections, originally passed into law in 2005 with bipartisan support, has effectively halted horse slaughter operations on American soil for years—that is, until late last year when three legislators quietly removed it from the Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations bill behind closed doors during the reconciliation process.

"The Animal Welfare Institute commends Representative Jim Moran and his colleagues, Representatives Sam Farr (D-CA), Rosa DeLauro (C-CT), Steven Rothman (D-NJ), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), and Barbara Lee (D-CA) for their statements in support of the amendment," said Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal affairs for AWI. "We share Representative Moran’s perspective that there is a moral imperative to keep the door firmly closed against this cruel and undesirable industry. It would be fiscally irresponsible to expend tax dollars to prop up an industry that mainly serves foreign interests while inflicting suffering on American horses."

AWI will work with humanitarians within Congress to shepherd the measure to the full House for a vote and then to the Senate.

Staying Informed on Equine Welfare Issues
By Janet Friedman
Know who and how to locate and contact your local and state legislators. Remember to be courteous when contacting our officials. Contact both your local assembly and senate representatives and the sponsors of the various bills often by multiple Congressional representatives who are out of your district. Don’t forget to contact the Governor and the President of the United States.
a.. State & Local Government Links - http://www.loc.gov/rr/news/stategov/stategov.html
b.. Locating your Congressional Leaders by State: http://www.house.gov/
c.. Animal Law Coalition - http://animallawcoalition.com
d.. Documentary on horse slaughter - http://www.savingamericashorses.org/home.html - Note Current bills regarding horse slaughter are Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, H.R. 503/S.B. 727(House Bills noted by H.B. # and Senate by S.B. #.)
e.. Committee on Natural Resources - http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/ Addresses the legislative issues affecting our national resources which include Bureau of Land Management (BLM) who manage the wild horses and burros.
f.. The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971' - http://www.wildhorsepreservation.com/resources/theact.pdf
Contacting the President of the United States: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
The White House Phone Numbers
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Comments: 202-456-1111
Washington, DC 20500 Switchboard: 202-456-1414
Please include your e-mail address FAX: 202-456-2461
Remember, animals don’t have a vote, they count on you!
If you don’t have a computer, public libraries are a good resource
Marge
"Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success"

Update:

We just received notice that the House Appropriations Committee will consider the FY13 Agriculture Appropriations bill on Tuesday, June 19.

If you haven’t done so already, it is critical that you email and call your legislator if they supported previous efforts (see list at bottom) to prevent our tax dollars from being used to slaughter horses. Don’t let a few individuals trying to profit from the abuse of American horses undermine the will of the American people.

Be sure to share this alert with others as well as posting it on Facebook.

Thanks, Chris

June 14, 2012

Please Contact Your Legislator TodayUrge Support for an Amendment to Protect America's Horses

Dear Humanitarian:

The House Appropriations Committee is poised to decide whether or not to block an unnecessary expansion of the federal government, save taxpayer dollars, and—of particular interest to humanitarians—protect horses from being cruelly slaughtered for human consumption.

As soon as next week, the House Appropriations Committee may consider the FY13 Agriculture Appropriations bill. Last year the Committee approved an amendment sponsored by Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) that prevented tax dollars from being used to fund inspections of horse slaughter facilities. This bipartisan language had been included in every Agriculture Appropriations bill since 2005, until three legislators quietly removed it behind closed doors late last year. Without this important provision, foreign-owned companies will be able to reestablish horse slaughter in the United States at the expense of taxpayers, food safety, and the welfare of horses. In fact, representatives of such companies are already making rounds in the Midwest looking for a plant location.

At a time when Congress is dramatically cutting back federal spending and eliminating federal programs, it is disappointing that some in Congress want to revive an unpopular taxpayer-subsidized program that existed solely to support foreign-owned slaughter facilities that inflicted tremendous suffering on American horses.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

The full House Appropriations Committee will vote on the FY13 Agriculture Appropriations bill soon. An amendment will be offered by Rep. Moran to restore language prohibiting the USDA from spending your tax dollars to inspect horse slaughter facilities. This language defunding USDA inspections of horse slaughter facilities is vital to protecting American horses. The majority of the Committee supported this amendment last year. If your legislator is on the House Appropriations Committee (see list below), it is critical that you email or call TODAY and urge them to strongly SUPPORT the Moran amendment to defund horse slaughter inspections.

You can contact the main Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the office of your legislator, or use AWI's Compassion Index to quickly send an email, locate the direct office number, and view your legislator's voting record on the issue. The majority of legislators have supported previous efforts to end horse slaughter. Your Representative has been among the ban's supporters, so be sure to mention that when you call and urge continued strong opposition to any effort to restore horse slaughter.

Please share this eAlert and ask friends, family, and coworkers to do the same. Be sure to post it on Facebook and share it on Twitter. As always, thank you for your continued and critical support on this important issue.

The Animal Recovery Mission claims to have found illegal slaughterhouse operations involving animal cruelty being conducted in Citrus Park of Tampa Bay.

ARM is a nonprofit animal welfare investigative organization based out of Miami Beach.

The illegal operations have been operating over the last 40 years due to little or no enforcement from local authorities, ARM officials claim. They are in the business of butchering animals for human consumption, ARM claims. Many horses are tattooed and registered racehorses, say ARM Investigators who also documented wild horses "branded by the Department of the Interior" on Hillsborough County slaughter farms. ARM has a wild mustang in custody rescued from a slaughter farm.

ARM investigators say they were able to buy horse meat and document animals being butchered. ARM founder and lead lnvestigator, Richard Couto, reportedly embedded himself among the butchers for 11 months to build a case against them and their activities through video and audio documentation.

He helped save animals, including horses, pigs, goats, sheep and all types of poultry and birds.

Methods of animal deaths included being shot, knifed, hammered, boiled alive and drowned. Hundreds of animals have been butchered alive, say ARM investigators. Animals sold for human consumption are entering the food chain within Tampa Bay and pose as a serious health risk as the meat is not inspected by the USDA. Since 2010, ARM investigations say they have closed 82 illegal slaughter, animal sacrifice and animal fighting farms in Miami-Dade County.

Wed Jun 13, 2012 6:14 am (PDT)
WordPress.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Straight from the Horse's Heart
Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 7:34 AM
Subject: [New post] I’d Rather Eat Peanuts
New post on Straight from the Horse's Heart
I’d Rather Eat Peanuts
by R.T. Fitch
Here at SFTHH, the focus is nearly always on equine welfare issues. But every once in a while, some of us throw up our hands in disgust and feel Compelled to Refute. In this case, a pamphlet,
(http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1103685263837-126/Americans+Eat+Horses.pdf) recently published for distribution to Washington power brokers to assuage their ignorance over horse slaughter issues compiled by one Sue Wallis, Wyoming State Representative and staunch advocate for the killing of horses for food and profit.
Read more of this post
R.T. Fitch | June 13, 2012 at 6:33 AM | Tags: Cruelty to animals, fraud, Horse, Horse Meat, Horse Slaughter, Sue Wallis | Categories: Horse Health, Horse News, Horse Slaughter | URL: http://wp.me/pyapj-42N
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Mon Jun 11, 2012 3:45 pm (PDT)
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----- Original Message -----
From: Tuesday's Horse
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2012 6:06 PM
Subject: [New post] Future of horse slaughter industry in US in limbo
New post on Tuesday's Horse
Future of horse slaughter industry in US in limbo
by VGFarrell
CLAY COPPEDGE writing for the Country World reports: Several states have applied to the USDA to inspect such a [horse slaughter] facility, but legal hurdles and a groundswell of popular opinion against the slaughter of horses have slowed, stalled or, in some cases, stopped the application process. The USDA has turned down three proposals because [...]
Read more of this post
VGFarrell | Jun 11, 2012 at 6:05 pm | Tags: aqha, Horse Slaughter, usda inspections, ward stutz | Categories: Horse Slaughter | URL: http://wp.me/p6VVi-5JC
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Sue Wallis [or whoever pens her ramblings] has mastered the art of writing fictitious statements and making them sound feasible.

In a cover letter to the release of her latest piece of fiction, she states her paper is a representation of the horse industry. Where is the data to back that statement? She is well known for making baseless statements and then when challenged, she cuts and runs.

She wants to kill horses. Period. How is that going to help the beleaguered horse industry that makes its billions from live horses? The answer is obvious. It won't.

Wallis speaks for a foreign meat industry. When did the horse industry ever produce meat? They produce athletes and performance horses, not horse meat.

The first section is nothing more than an attempt to build a market that doesn't exist and never will exist in America. If Americans ate horses and there was a buck to be made, horse meat would be in our grocery stores. There was nothing stopping the selling of horse meat in the U.S. during all the years slaughtered existed on our soil and never a mention of wanting to sell horse meat.

She babbles on and on about the foreign countries consuming meat. Really, now. Who cares? Every country has its own culture and is free to eat and do what they please. In our country, in our culture, we do not eat our horses. She claims she'll feed the hungry. Do we really want the U.S. to be known for wiping out world hunger by feeding the hungry toxic meat?

We agree with her comment that journalists don't always fact check but this is a positive for Wallis, not a negative. If journalists did check facts, none of her nonsense would be published.

She claims horse slaughter is humane but hasn't provided any evidence. There are mounds of evidence to the contrary. Continually citing Humane Methods of Slaughter, she fails to state that having regulations and enforcing them are not the same. There aren't enough inspectors and yet, she wants to expand their workload to horse slaughter plants that will further compromise our food supply. Government authenticated undercover footage has proved over and over again just how inhumane horse slaughter really is. Not being able to explain away the cruelty, she simply states they are all fabricated. If she pulled FOIAs from the former U.S. plants, she would realize just how baseless her statements really are.

All we hear is humane and regulated horse slaughter plants. This is coming from someone who thought it was good clean fun to crawl around in the bloodied carcass of a horse. Someone that defends a livestock plant owner wanting to open a horse slaughter plant that was shut down by the USDA for inhumane treatment of slaughter animals and someone that defends a feedlot owner that has been cited over and over again for violations. Listen to her carefully. She defends the cruelty and attacks the individuals that expose it

Next, we move on to food safety. She makes the statement that horse meat is safe. Horse meat from horses in other countries may be safe but it certainly isn't from horses raised in America. U.S. horses are not raised or regulated as food animals. We race horses; we raise horses to perform, to work, for law enforcement, as therapy animals, for sport, for pleasure and as companions. The foreign countries that consume horse meat raise horses as food animals. They do not raise their horses for other purposes and then send them to the butcher. They have passport systems requiring a veterinarian record every medication given to the horse from birth. They do not allow a horse to obtain a passport over 6 months of age. The passport systems are national systems to ensure food safety, not a home grown system devised by those who will profit from horse slaughter.

Once again, she reaches out to equine scientists and veterinarians to give her ammo to get around food safety regulations. Medical doctors determine the levels of medications that are safe for human consumption and what medications are banned in food animals. Food safety is to protect humans, not animals. Equine scientists and veterinarians are not medical doctors.

Stating that horse meat is nutritious and including pictures of plates of horse meat does not portray meat from American horses. Add a little Phenylbutazone (Bute) to the meat and the nutrition is outweighed by the risk of developing cancer. Included in her paper is a letter from [again] non medial doctors that unsuccessfully attempted to refute a paper published on Bute in the Food and Chemical Toxicology Journal. In typical Wallis fashion, she failed to print the response to the letter that was published in the same journal that validated the original study.¹ A comprehensive study was also published by a group of veterinarians in Ireland on the effects of Bute in humans and the consequences for violating the passport system.²

One constant with Wallis is that you can always count on her rabidly trying to find a way around food safety laws-in particular, with Bute. The reason she is so irrational on food safety is that if food safety regulations were enforced with U.S. horses, there would be no horses to slaughter. So she does what she does best; explains it away with irrelevant documents and statements from individuals [or herself] that have no training or qualifications to speak to food safety.

One of her favorite tricks is to include a link to prove something, counting on the reader never actually reading the document. As one example, she cites a 2008 European Union (E.U.) report as proof that drug residues have never been found in U.S. horses. The report she cites has nothing to do with results-it was about establishing protocols concerning drug residues.

In December of 2010, the E.U. released a report on how well the slaughter plants were implementing the recommendations of the 2008 audit and this one did include drug residues in U.S. horses. Not only did they find several banned substances but also discovered that the accompanying paperwork was falsified.³ Of course, she ignores the report because it blows her argument out of the water.

She disregards the documents that disprove her statements and when challenged, there is never a response other than to start name calling. How dare those tree hugging, vegan, radical animal activists provide facts.

In another example, Wallis talks about the rate at which Phenylbutazone disappears from the blood stream, implying that it simply goes away in a few days. In fact, the drug does two things Wallis doesn't mention. First, it metabolizes into Oxyphenylbutazone, a compound with a much longer rate of decay and the same toxic properties. Secondly, it takes up in injured tissue. This accounts for its extreme effectiveness, but it also makes it reappear in the blood later. The bottom line is that Bute is banned in all meat animals for very good scientific reasons.

Bute is known as the aspirin of horse world. It is as common as the bottle of aspirin in your medicine cabinet. Walk into any barn in the U.S. and you will find a form of Bute or Bute compounds. Bute is banned in all food producing animals and is banned by the FDA and the E.U. that consumes the meat from U.S. horses.

The GAO report that Wallis frequently quotes is primarily anecdotal comments and she validates this with the comments in her paper. Comments and interviews are not data.4 As one example, veterinarians from the meat industry were interviewed regarding abandoned horses instead of the state agencies that receive and record the reports. When EWA requested the underlying data that formulated the assumptions, our request was denied; a further indication that data did not exist. Wallis completely ignores the GAO recommendation that horse slaughter be banned permanently.

Wallis blames the closure of the U.S. horse slaughter plants for the decrease in horse values and all the woes of the horse industry. Not only did horse slaughter not end but it increased. Nothing changed other than where they were being butchered. Anyone possessing even a rudimentary knowledge of cause and effect would understand what a ridiculous conclusion that is. One year after the plants closed, our country experienced an economic crisis that has been compared to the Great Depression. Every industry in this country experienced declines. Does she honestly expect anyone to believe that if the plants had remained opened, that only the value of horses wouldn't have declined?

A recent poll by the prestigious pollsters, Lake Associates, revealed that 80% of Americans are against horse slaughter. Wallis can continue starting new organizations, changing the names and aligning with foreign meat businesses. She can continue making unsubstantiated statements and claims of support but in the end, she will be run out of town as she has been every time she tried to shove a slaughter plant down the throats of communities in America.

And that, my friends, speaks volumes of the opposition to horse slaughter in our country.

The Equine Welfare Alliance is a dues-free 501c4, umbrella organization with over 245 member organizations and hundreds of individual members worldwide in 18 countries. The organization focuses its efforts on the welfare of all equines and the preservation of wild equids. www.equinewelfarealliance.org

Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:13 am (PDT)
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New post on Canadian Horse Defence Coalition's Blog
Hunter Jumper Association Joins Pro Abattoir Group
by canadianhorsedefencecoalition
WASHINGTON, (AHC) – March 15, 2012. The United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) has joined the Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC).
“Supporting the mission of UHC is totally in line with the USHJA’s mission of which a major component is protecting the well being of our participants both human and equine and offering broad based education for our members. We want to do all we can to help ensure that these generous animals have the responsible care that they deserve from all of us,” said Shelby French, CEO of the USHJA.
The USHJA, which is the nationally recognized affiliate for the hunter and jumper riding disciplines, promotes the equestrian sport and the well being of its participants. The USHJA offers broad based education for its members and provides the framework for the conduct of the hunter/jumper sport.http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/14607
canadianhorsedefencecoalition | March 16, 2012 at 12:36 | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/pUJ26-M2
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Thu Mar 15, 2012 4:53 am (PDT)
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If you live in Tennessee, find your state legislators here.
Write or call now and urge them to vote NO on H.B. 3619.
New post on Straight from the Horse's Heart
TN’s Niceley Slips Horse Slaughter Provision into Bill
by R.T. Fitch
Tennessee Rep. Frank Nicely is back this session with another effort to smooth the way for a horse slaughterhouse to open in the state. House Bill 3619 just cleared the House of Representatives Agriculture Committee and could be scheduled for a vote by the full House at any time.
Read more of this post
R.T. Fitch | March 15, 2012 at 5:37 AM | Tags: Horse, Horse Slaughter, Laura Allen, montana, Tennessee | Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter | URL: http://wp.me/pyapj-3K7
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----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Equine Welfare Alliance <ewa@equinewelfarealliance.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2012 10:15 PM
Subject: 2012.03.10 Press Release | MO death threats?
Having trouble viewing this email? Click here
Press Release
March 10, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
John Holland540-268-5693john@equinewelfarealliance.org
Vicki Tobin 630.961.9292vicki@equinewelfarealliance.org
Horse slaughter promoter alleges death threats to YMCA director
Mountain Grove, MO (EWA) - A bizarre chain of events has followed the contentious meeting of the Mountain Grove City Council on March 6th concerning the Unified Equine proposal to build a horse slaughter plant near the town.
Unified Equine CEO Sue Wallis claimed that the project would be a 50% partnership with Belgian company Chevideco, and that they would invest $6 to $7 million in a plant that would be designed by Dr. Temple Grandin.
But during the meeting city residents became inflamed by a presentation given by attorney Cynthia MacPherson, cataloging the pollution and crime that Chevideco's Dallas Crown facility had brought to the town of Kaufman Texas.
When banker Roger Lindsey rose to defend the project he was shouted down and left the meeting. The unanticipated public anger touched off a series of events. First, the director of the Mountain Grove YMCA announced that he would no longer permit Sue Wallis to hold a planned meeting there on the following Monday.
On her facebook page, Wallis explained this apparent snub by saying "We have not spoken to him directly, but it is my understanding that the YMCA director received death threats to his family, and to sponsors of his organization, We have heard directly from other community members that they have received threatening letters just for publicly expressing their support for the project."
EWA contacted the Missouri State Police, the Mountain Grove police department and the YMCA director, Chad Watson. State police captain Duane Isringhausen, told EWA's John Holland that he had received no such reports. The Mountain Grove police said they had heard the report and investigated but that they could find no evidence of threats being made to anyone. YMCA director Chad Watson said he had received no threats and had moved the meeting when he learned of its subject. "This place is for the children", said Watson.
Wallis announced that the meeting had been moved to the Wright County Livestock Auction, and that while the public was welcome, anyone being "disrespectful" would be evicted. On March 10th the auction owner, Nathan Kelly, said the meeting would be closed to the press. Kelly said he had been "lambasted" by people opposed to the project.
MacPherson told EWA that she is encouraging people to stay away from the Wallis meeting; however postings on the popular Topix blog show some residents plan a peaceful protest outside the auction.
The media ban was not the end of this bizarre episode. In subsequent interviews, Wallis was quoted contradicting her earlier claims of backing from Chevideco saying that she did not have an agreement, and that she would likely depend on local investors. This revelation follows the earlier statement by Grandin that she knew nothing of the project.
EWA's John Holland summed up the situation saying "It now appears that Wallis, rather than bringing millions of investment dollars into the area, intends instead to borrow millions from the people of Missouri to have someone who had not been told of the project build them a horse slaughter plant that they don't want! What could go wrong with that?
#
The Equine Welfare Alliance is a dues-free 501c4, umbrella organization with over 220 member organizations and hundreds of individual members worldwide in 18 countries. The organization focuses its efforts on the welfare of all equines and the preservation of wild equids.www.equinewelfarealliance.org
#

Press Release
March 13, 2012, 12:14 p.m. EST
2012 American Equine Summit Unites Against Horse Slaughter
CHATHAM, N.Y., March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The 2012 American Equine Summit will take place March 31 - April 1 at Equine Advocates Rescue & Sanctuary in Chatham, NY. This invitation only summit will unite the equine community's foremost experts to speak about horse slaughter, raise awareness and encourage grassroots efforts to ban this practice, which has recently gained legislative approval to be reinstated. In attendance will be members of the press, lawmakers and those involved with animal welfare and the horse industry.
Said Susan Wagner, founder/president of Equine Advocates, "Over 80 percent of Americans oppose horse slaughter, according to recent polls. Our goal is to empower these 'eighty-percenters' to make their voices heard in Congress, urging their representatives to pass legislation to stop this horrendous practice."
Horse lover and legendary concert promoter, Ron Delsener, will be the Keynote Speaker. Others will include:
Paula Bacon (Texas): Former Mayor of Kaufman, Texas, will address the impact of opening a horse slaughterhouse.
Cathleen Doyle (Oklahoma): Director, Save the Horses will discuss the historic passage of the initiative that banned horse slaughter in California.
John Holland (Virginia): Equine Welfare Alliance President will present the misconceptions about "slaughter horses".
Dr. Kraig J. Kulikowski, D.V.M. (Florida and New York): Licensed equine practitioner will discuss humane euthanasia as an alternative to slaughter.
Katia Louise (California): International award-winning documentary filmmaker will screen and discuss Saving America's Horses.
Victoria McCullough (Florida): Equine protectionist will discuss the successful passage of Florida's 2010 Equine Protection Act.
Cindy Meehl (Connecticut): Director of the award-winning 2011 documentary, Buck.
Jo Anne Normile (Michigan): Saving Baby Founder will discuss national "After Care" programs developed by racing organizations.
Read full new release:http://www.marketwatch.com/story/2012-american-equine-summit-unites-against-horse-slaughter-2012-03-13

Today's News http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109468477367&s=627&e=001QiXD5AfSW002rGttdcskZMpxk5KImqM96oEdAaNtqIumZf8qcDHnmHAVJHoqWuBVNL_PCzkk4AU5cjW6bKlXELH-TO73Im4IWW_5TBQzz9pAnWzNkxdMhGPks6BPD1JgSUfqmF81BptV7x_oij1dLs3SVplUdpLdkBuN1rvblY8=
March 6, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
John Holland
540-268-5693john@equinewelfarealliance.org
Vicki Tobin
630.961.9292vicki@equinewelfarealliance.org
Mountain Grove Rejects Horse Slaughter Plant
Mountain Grove, MO (EWA) - A much publicized proposal to locate a horse slaughter plant in Mountain Grove, Missouri was soundly rejected by the Mountain Grove town council tonight. The meeting was attended by a capacity crowd of about 300, with many people being turned away and others sitting in areas where they could not see or hear.
The plan, proposed by Sue Wallis of Unified Equine, was to use land just east of the town of Mountain Grove to build a facility to slaughter horses. Wallis had claimed that she chose the location because people in the area were "100% behind what we are doing and 100% behind how we are going to do it."
The first cracks in her plan happened just days earlier when Dr. Temple Grandin, who Wallis said was to design the plant, publicly stated that she knew nothing about it.
According to Wallis, Chevideco NV, a Belgium corporation with slaughter houses in several countries, was to be her backer and partner. Chevideco was the company that owned the Dallas Crown slaughter house in Kaufman Texas. In 2007, Dallas Crown was closed under an old state law.
Cynthia MacPherson of MacPherson Law Center in Mountain Grove made a blistering and lethal case against the plant. Unfortunately for Wallis, the decades long record of their many sewer and environmental violations was brought out at the meeting along with many other disturbing facts. In just 19 months of operation the plant had 481 sewer violations. At one point the town of Kaufman had ordered Dallas Crown closed, but the plant had managed to delay the order through a protracted legal battle.
At the end of her presentation, MacPherson showed a power point presentation detailing the devastation of communities caused by Dallas Crown and two other horse slaughter facilities.
In a document supplied to the town, Wallis had addressed some of the issues she knew would surface. On crime, she said it was not likely that crime would increase as a result of the slaughter plant, but MacPherson showed that the closure of Dallas Crown resulted in a huge reduction of crime, discrediting Wallis' prediction.
* Murders dropped from an average of .5/100,000 a year to 0.
* Rapes dropped from an average of 6/100,000 a year to 0.
* Robberies dropped 65%
* Assaults dropped 61.2%
* Thefts dropped 71.2%
* Auto thefts dropped 83.3%
Wallis held a place on the agenda which she delegated to Roger Lindsey of IDC (Intercity Development Council), the owner of the land in question. The IDC is consortium of which Mountain Grove owns a one-sixth share.
The community opposition was nearly unanimous and when Roger Lindsey rose to speak in favor of the plant he was booed and heckled. The Mayor gaveled the crowd down three times and threatened to clear the room if order was not restored.
The plant is the third announced publicly by Sue Wallis. In recent years she had announced that she was going to use the Cheyenne Stockyards as a mustering point for horses, and when that did not materialize she announced a plan to build a mobile slaughtering facility that would travel around Wyoming slaughtering horses. Reports indicate she is going to try other towns in Missouri.
In a quote to Equine Welfare Alliance, Cynthia MacPherson said "if they move their plans to another town, we will be right behind them!"
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The Equine Welfare Alliance is a dues-free 501c4, umbrella organization with over 220 member organizations and hundreds of individual members worldwide in 18 countries. The organization focuses its efforts on the welfare of all equines and the preservation of wild equids. www.equinewelfarealliance.org
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Equine Welfare Alliance| PO Box 6161| Naperville| IL| 60567

The Animal Welfare Institute has been in Springfield, Illinois for a couple of days and we have good news to report. The bill to overturn the 2007 law banning horse slaughter was effectively killed for this legislative session today when it was assigned to a subcommittee for further study. The deadline for bills to move from House committees is this week and since the House Agriculture Committee was holding its final hearing before that deadline, there is not enough time to have the issue considered before that deadline passes. However, the Illinois General Assembly remains in session for another month so we must remain vigilant to ensure this language doesn't pop up again.
Thanks to everyone for helping with calls and emails to once again defeat an attempt to legalize horse slaughter in Illinois. Those wanting to profit from this cruel industry will never give up so it is important to remind them we will always be around to protect America's horses from slaughter!
Best, Chris
--
CHRISTOPHER J. HEYDE
Deputy Director, Government and Legal Affairs
ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003
T: (202) 446-2142 ~ F: (202) 446-2131www.awionline.orgwww.compassionindex.org
The Animal Welfare Institute has been working to alleviate the suffering inflicted on animals by humans since 1951.
Please join us in our work to protect animals – visit our website to find out more and to sign up for AWI eAlerts: www.awionline.org<http://www.awionline.org/>.
Please consider the animals and their habitat before printing.

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Equine Welfare Alliance <vicki@equinewelfarealliance.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 12:25 AM
Subject: 2012.02.28 Action Alert and more!
Having trouble viewing this email? Click here
Action Alert!
For those of you that have been with us for quite some time, y'all know what Ground Hog Day is in Illinois. For those of you new to our email group, Illinois has its very own Ground Hog Day. That's the day that state Representative Jim Sacia introduces his annual "Let's overturn the state law banning horse slaughter" legislation. This year there is a twist. Sacia was able to get a newbie (2011), Richard Morthland (R) to do his bidding. Yes, we have yet another bill to address, HB 5382.
We heard about this last week but it was still in the rules committee. It has now been released to the Ag committee so it's time to start dialing, faxing and writing. Since Rep. Morthland is new, let's show him what happens when someone introduces legislation that 80% of this country opposes. If you get the ol' - you don't live in Illinois speech, tell them that your horse could be stolen and sent to Illinois and that makes it your business. This legislation impacts the entire country.
Over the last few days, we have been in contact with Gail Vacca of the IL Equine Humane Center HSUS, ASPCA and AWI. AWI has already sent an alert to its members and you should expect to see something from HSUS and ASPCA soon. We'll be working with Gail, as we do every year, to defeat this bill. She's been involved since the original legislation to ban horse slaughter was introduced and did not pass.
Bill Sponsor:
Robert Morthland
Springfield Office:
208-N Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706 (217) 782-3992(217) 782-5201 FAX
District Office:
4416 River Drive
Moline, IL 61265 (309) 762-3008(309) 762-3045 FAX
Rock Island County
Here are the Agriculture & Conservation committee members: (you can click the links below for the contact information): If you have any issues with the below links, you can access the below page here: http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109400470846&s=627&e=001AyVHs4A2UlLkzL94NvyKe5d6Is8MhfdCc1q5E9uObZENU6YNZiDlA1iYEcRCwXMpBqKfM9Dtuy2D6X0l8EYPkHMTP6FNhN8VNQfsaCuOx5Jf4grdfChx10JMo8u51jdAvmaqVeuO0hAYMiI0WrXWn57tvZVyFjnV4tyBWfHulm_A67jbiKYWvQ==

Chairperson : Lisa M. Dugan D
Vice-Chairperson : Patrick J. Verschoore D
Republican Spokesperson : Jim Sacia R
Member: Jason Barickman R
Member: Kelly Burke D
Member: John D. Cavaletto R
Member: Jerry F. Costello, II D
Member: Mary E. Flowers D
Member: Norine Hammond R
Member: Chad Hays R
Member: Frank J. Mautino D
Member: Jack McGuire D
Member: Donald L. Moffitt R
Member: Brandon W. Phelps D
Member: Wayne Rosenthal R
A few suggested talking points:
* The Illinois Law was passed in 2007 by an overwhelming majority
* Every bill to overturn the state law has been defeated. Note: Governor Quinn is in support of the state law.
* The majority of IL residents and 80% of our nation do not support overturning the state law
* Slaughter is for food production, not a disposal service. US equines are not raised or regulated as food animals
* History and current day have proven that horse slaughter does not control the horse population or reduce neglect
* Animal abuse decreased from 2002-2004 during the years Cavel was shut down to rebuild after a fire Note: the cause was never determined
* Horse slaughter plants have been proven detrimental to communities - wastewater issues, devalued property values and loss of new business. Note: Cavel was never able to comply with wastewater regulations and can be verified by the DeKalb Sanitary District. See below foaming tank spewing pollution from the "state of the art" former Cavel plant.
That should get you started! We'll provide a copy of the letter we send as well as info from other organizations sending letters and alerts.
Please let us know the responses you receive so we can keep track of support.
Go get 'em, folks!
Today's News
While we have not been promoting the never ending stream of redundant petitions as an organization because they are ignored by legislators, here is a petition that we'd like our member's to support. It is in support of ousting pro slaughter, Callie Hendrickson, from the BLM Advisory Board. Please take a moment to sign this petition! http://www.change.org/petitions/oust-callie-hendrickson-from-blm-advisory-board
RT Fitch has written an excellent editorial on the Children's Letter Writing Campaign. There is also a video posted from Declan Gregg, one of the children instrumental in starting the campaign.
Horse-Eating Cult Attacks Children, Education and Learning Institutionshttp://rtfitchauthor.com/2012/02/27/horse-eating-cult-attacks-children-education-and-learning-institutions/
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New post on Straight from the Horse's Heart
Horse-Eating Cult Attacks Children, Education and Learning Institutions
by R.T. Fitch
OpEd by R.T. Fitch ~ Equine Author and volunteer President of the Wild Horse Freedom Federation Frustration Mounts as the Horse Slaughter Vehicle of Death Slowly Sinks Disclaimer: Not for those under the age of 15 or individuals who refer to the 5th grade as their "Senior Year"! Several months ago, a young boy became [...]
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R.T. Fitch | February 27, 2012 at 7:26 AM | Tags: Animal welfare, Equine Welfare Alliance, Horse, Horse Meat, Horse Slaughter, R.T. Fitch, United Federation of Teachers | Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter, The Force of the Horse | URL: http://wp.me/pyapj-3Hp
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New post on Canadian Horse Defence Coalition's Blog
Quebec Horse Slaughter Plant Resumes Operations by canadianhorsedefencecoalition
The CHDC has learned from a valuable source that Les Viandes de la Petite-Nation horse slaughter plant (LPN) resumed operations on Thursday, February 23rd.
According to the source, LPN has now modified the plant to enable the use of a rifle instead of a captive bolt gun to stun horses and "obtain better results".
Horsemeat from LPN is shipped exclusively to Europe and none is sold domestically in Canada. According to our source, LPN re-opened after completing modifications such as magnet-sealed doors to prevent people from entering the zone while the rifle is fired and the installation of better anti-skid floors to prevent animals from being injured.
The CHDC questions why the facility would resort to the use of a rifle to stun horses prior to slaughter. As clearly illustrated in footage captured at Viandes Richelieu in 2010 [ http://www.defendhorsescanada.org/chambers-of-carnage.html - click on video links], the flailing head of a terrified horse is a moving target, and hitting the small area of the equine brain that would render the animal insensible is a difficult maneuver at best.
Further, for safety reasons, inspectors at Viandes Richelieu at the time were not permitted in the area where horses were being stunned by gunshot, therefore preventing oversight by those responsible to ensure that animals are being humanely treated.
Animal suffering cannot be prevented in an equine slaughter situation, where assembly-line speed and profit are the goals. Horses are flight animals and difficult if not impossible to restrain when they are very frightened. They are administered drugs during their lifetimes that are not safe for humans to ingest.
The CHDC calls upon the government of Canada to put an end to the shameful and unsafe practice of killing our noble companion animals for food.
Horse defenders can send their polite messages of concern to:
Stephen Giguere, Manager, Les Viandes de la Petite Nation Inc.
email: stephane.giguere@taoco.com
Tel: 819.983.7941888.983.2082
Fax: 819.983.4041vpn@taoco.com
Also email: cerfdeboileau@taoco.com
Mylene Freeman

According to the study, an amount equal to 70% of the annual Thoroughbred foal crop, on average, die at slaughter each year.

February 29, 2012
Advocating for animals to live and live free of cruelty and neglect
WFLF Study Reveals Disturbing Number of U.S. Thoroughbreds Slaughtered Each Year
Wild for Life Foundation releases a Case Study conducted on the number of Thoroughbreds that die at slaughter each year.
The case study is based on data published by the U.S. government and the Jockey Club. According to the study, an amount equal to 70% of the annual Thoroughbred foal crop, on average, die at slaughter each year.
"The polls have shown that the vast majority of those in racing want an end to the transport of their horses to any slaughterhouse," said Jo Anne Normile, founder of Saving Baby Equine Charity and CANTER, the first organization to take Thoroughbreds right from the track to safe havens. "But for every Secretariat, for every Seabiscuit, there are tens of thousands of racehorses whose experiences on the back lots of the country's tracks tell a different story."
"Without federal protection, aftercare programs cannot safeguard our horses from the harm of horse slaughter," adds Katia Louise, President, Wild for Life Foundation. "It's evident that more must be done by the industry, including a united stance supporting a federal ban on slaughter of horses for human consumption."
Read more here including about Wild for Life
Foundation's Saving America's Horses Initiative which includes production of the hard hitting film, Saving America's Horses.
This study showing the astonishing numbers of Thoroughbreds slaughtered each year should be a wake up call to racing and the horse industry.
Animal Law Coalition joins Wild for Life Foundation and Americans Against Horse Slaughter, in calling for an auditable and industry funded after care program for rehabilitation, retraining and adoption for horses whose racing careers are over. We also join in recommending that the leaders of the equine industry resolve to support vigorously the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act and put an end to the travesty and tragedy of horse slaughter for human consumption.
Please call on Pres. Obama and also urge your U.S. representative and senators to support the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act!
Visit the Animal Law Coalition site to learn more about the fight for animals taking place in Congress, state legislatures, counties and cities, and courtrooms. Get involved!
Sincerely,
Laura Allen
Executive Director
Animal Law Coalitionwww.animallawcoalition.com
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Wed Feb 22, 2012 8:38 am (PST)
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New post on Canadian Horse Defence Coalition's Blog
Don’t Take My Word For It: Numbers Don’t Lie
by canadianhorsedefencecoalition
Very good article from staunch horse supporter Cynthia D'Errico:
As I’ve said again and again: don’t take my word for it. Do the research yourself. So many Quebeckers are vehemently against horse slaughter but they haven’t got the time to do the research. So here are a few facts (and, all of these have already been listed under my Primers on Horse Slaughter right here on my blog. If the link doesn’t work, go to My Categories under Primers for Horse Slaughter).
To those who worry what will happen to all those horses who would normally go to slaughter–in short, be discarded for one reason or another–if horse slaughter is stopped inQuebec, here are the answers:
Please go to Cynthia’s site for the full article: http://cynthiaderrico.com/2012/02/dont-take-my-word-for-it-numbers-dont-lie/
canadianhorsedefencecoalition | February 22, 2012 at 09:55 | Categories: Horse Slaughter | URL: http://wp.me/pUJ26-Ja
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Wed Feb 22, 2012 1:26 pm (PST)
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IMPORTANT UPDATE: LES VIANDES DE LA PETITE-NATION SLAUGHTER PLANT TEMPORARILY CLOSED
by canadianhorsedefencecoalition
Les Viandes de la Petite-Nation Inc. slaughter house in Quebec has been temporarily closed, with inspections and audits being conducted at the plant by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). La Petite-Nation (LPN) was the subject of the December 2011 investigative report by the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (CHDC) entitled “Pasture to Plate: The True Cost of Canada's Horsemeat Industry”: http://www.defendhorsescanada.org/lpn.html.
The report cites numerous violations underCanada’s Meat Inspection Act, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) animal welfare standards, cruelty violations, as well as reveals a flawed Equine Identification Documents system. LPN is one of two plants operating in Quebec, and one of four plants operating in Canada.
The CFIA's Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Brian Evans, verifies the temporary closure in this February 16th email:
Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2012
From: Brian Evans <Brian.Evans@inspection.gc.ca>
To: Sinikka Crosland <sinikka@defendhorsescanada.org>
Sinikka
Thank you for your email inquiry.
With respect to Les Viandes de la Petite-Nation Inc., I am informed by Quebec Operations the enhanced inspection, verification and audit activities on the part of the CFIA continue and it is my understanding that the establishment has indicated its intent to temporarily suspend its operations. With respect to Viandes Richelieu I am advised its status is not changed.
Kind regards
Dr. Brian Evans
(613) 773-5236 / (613) 773-5763Brian.Evans@inspection.gc.ca
We are seeking further information from Dr. Evans on La Petite Nation's closure. In January 2012, the CHDC wrote to Dr. Evans to follow up on the Pasture to Plate report, since there had been no acknowledgement or communication of any kind from the CFIA on the violations that are occurring at the plant. Dr. Evans' reply indicated that he would involve Quebec operations regarding horse slaughter violations and tracking system deficiencies at LPN:http://canadianhorsedefencecoalition.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/dr-evans-of-the-cfia-responds/.
The CHDC finds it questionable that LPN has closed operations voluntarily, yet the CFIA is conducting inspections and audits there. It is our opinion that findings from the Pasture to Plate report has prompted the CFIA to take measures to somehow try to improve conditions at LPN, but this fourth investigative report on Canadian slaughterhouses proves, once again, that horses cannot be humanely slaughtered in assembly line situations. We continue to ask the CFIA, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Canadian government to close all horse slaughter plants permanently.
Day 2 Horse 8
canadianhorsedefencecoalition | February 22, 2012 at 15:16 | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/pUJ26-Ji
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New documents uncovered by the Channel 4 I-Team indicate that in January, several horses from Three Angels Farm in Lebanon were so badly injured that they were not allowed to enter Mexico, where they were expected to be sold to a meat-packing company.

“"New rules and new plant terms are being made in how to perform humane practices," Miller said.

Although the bill was passed in November, currently the USDA is retraining employees for the new commodity in how to properly inspect and process correctly. This is more regulated than in the foreign plants.“

URGENT AWI eAlert: House to Consider Ban on Hauling Horses in Double-Deck Trailers
Having trouble viewing this AWI eAlert? Click here to view it on our website: http://www.awionline.org/action-ealerts/house-consider-ban-hauling-horses-double-deck-trailers
February 13, 2012
House to Consider Ban on Hauling Horses in Double-Deck Trailers
Calls Urgently Needed to Oppose Gardner Amendment
Dear Humanitarian:
At long last, the U.S. House of Representatives is poised to consider a ban on the use of trailers with more than one level for hauling horses. This week, the House is expected to take up consideration of the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, H.R. 7. At present, language explicitly banning ALL hauling of horses on double-deck trailers is included in the bill - a safe and sound measure. However, opponents are trying to undermine this modest yet important legislation. Representative Cory Gardner (R-CO) has offered an amendment to strip the double-deck trailer ban from the bill and allow this inhumane practice to continue.
Support for banning the use of double-deck trailers is strong, and includes the American Veterinary Medical Association, National Black Farmers Association, Animal Welfare Institute, and Veterinarians for Equine Welfare. Equine rescue, humane, and professional organizations all realize it is cruel and dangerous to haul horses on double-deck trailers. Even the U.S. Department of Agriculture has expressed opposition to double-deck hauling of horses, stating that, "We do not believe that equines can be safely and humanely transported on a conveyance that has an animal cargo space divided into two or more stacked levels." (9 CFR Parts 70 and 88). In fact, the USDA has already prohibited the use of these trailers to transport horses to slaughter, but its rule does not cover horses being transported for any other purposes. All horses, regardless of where they are going, deserve this important protection, and the language
included in the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act will provide it.
Time is Short; Here's What You Can Do:
We must shore up support for the ban and against the Gardner Amendment. Please, can you help us? Because of the urgency of this action, emails may not be read in time to influence your Representative. Please take a few minutes TODAY to call and urge your U.S. Representative to support the existing double-deck trailer ban in H.R. 7, and oppose the Gardner Amendment to strip this language out. Below are some additional points that might be useful when you call.
To find the name of your Representative and his/her phone number, please visit www.compassionindex.org. You can also call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected.
Thank you for taking action on this very important issue. Be sure to share this eAlert with friends, family, and coworkers and urge them to call in support of the double-deck trailer ban as well.
Sincerely,
Chris Heyde
Deputy Director
Government and Legal Affairs
---
Double-Deck Trailers are Inhumane and Unsafe. According to the USDA and the American Veterinary Medical Association, horses require 7-8' (84"-92") ceiling clearance for safe and humane transport. Double-deck trailers often have ceilings as low as 5'5", well below the recommended minimum. Even trailers "modified" for special use have ceilings no higher than 5'11" (71"). When transported in these physically inadequate vehicles, many horses have arrived at their destination with grievous wounds on their shoulders (withers) and backs because their heads were forced into an unnatural and unbalanced position for extended periods of time during travel. Double-deck trailers, designed for shorter-necked species like cattle and swine do not provide adequate space for horses to retain their balance, leading to unstable footing, falls, injuries, trampling, and death.
Grisly Accidents Cost Lives, Traumatize First Responders, and Inflict Financial Burdens on Communities. Accidents in recent years have created gruesome roadside scenes of horses twisted, entangled, dead, and dying. Responders are often unprepared and left shocked by such horrifying disasters. Local communities have had to pay for the rescue and rehabilitation of the horses in many cases.
A Patchwork of State Laws Exists. Six states ban the use of double-deck trailers for the transport of horses entirely (Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont). A federal law would harmonize the varying state laws that address horse transport, improve enforcement of horse transportation safety laws, and make America's roads a safer place for all interstate travelers.
USDA Regulation Doesn't Cover Non-Slaughter Horse Transport. The USDA has unequivocally stated that double-deck trailers are inhumane and unsafe and has implemented a ban on their use for the transport of horses to slaughter. Unfortunately, there is a need for Congress to do what USDA has not been able to do - prevent the use of double-deck trailers to transport horses for other purposes. No matter the destination, using double-deck trailers to transport horses is inherently dangerous to horses and to people.
We respectfully urge you to support the language in the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act banning the transportation of horses on double-deck trailers. This language will make transportation safer for horses and our roadways safer for drivers. Feel free to contact us with any questions.
SIMPLE FACTS:
AVERAGE HORSE HEIGHT: 7'-7'8" (84"-92" or 15-17 hands)
AVERAGE TRAILER CEILING HEIGHT: 4'7"-5'11" (55"-71") each level
RECOMMENDED HEIGHT: 7-8' (84"-96") each level
MODIFIED RODEO TRAILER: 5'11" (71") each level
AVERAGE HEIGHT OF A HOUSE DOOR: 7' (84")
Animal Welfare Institute
900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE . Washington, DC 20003 (202) 337-2332 (main) . awi@awionline.org
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ASPCA urges public support for the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act

NEW YORK, (ASPCA) — The The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals today announced in a newly released poll conducted by Lake Research Partners that 80 percent of American voters are opposed to the slaughter of U.S. horses for human consumption. The nationwide survey reveals that Americans oppose horse slaughter overwhelmingly regardless of their gender, political affiliation, whether they live in an urban or rural area, or their geographic location. Further, it confirms that a vast majority of horse owners are also against the slaughtering of our nation’s equines.

BILL TO ALLOW TAX BREAK TO COMPANIES WISHING TO OPEN A HORSE SLAUGHTERPLANT IN OKLAHOMA!!! VOTE IS ANY TIME AFTER FEB 6!!!This is a Bill that has been proposed and will go up for vote sometime after the 6th of February. PLEASE read and share. I spoke with Lewis Moore's Legislative Assistant today and passed on my feelings and concerns. She said that she even got some education from our little chat. She said that the more people that call their Representative and voice their feelings and concerns, the better chance of...... getting them to vote No on this Bill. If you live in the Jones area, Lewis Moore's phone number is 405-557-7400 if you are unsure of your Representative, please go to www.okhouse.gov and look them up. We don't need to give any incentives to those
who want to open and run a Horse Slaughter House (facility) in OklahomaSTATE OF OKLAHOMA2nd Session of the 53rd Legislature (2012)HOUSE BILL 2758 By: McPeakAS INTRODUCEDAn Act relating to revenue and taxation; authorizing income tax credit for qualified horse slaughter facility; defining terms; prescribing amount of income tax credit; prohibiting use of credit to reduce tax liability to less than certain amount; authorizing carryover; providing for codification; and providing an effective date.BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2357.501 of Title 68, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:A. As used in this section:1. “Horse slaughter facility” means real property and improvements to real property the principal purpose of which is the commercial slaughter of horses or other equines for profit;2. “Qualified horse slaughter facility” means a horse slaughter facility constructed, refurbished or converted on or after January 1, 2012, within the State of Oklahoma.B. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2011, there shall be allowed a credit against the tax imposed pursuant to Section 2355 of Title 68 of the Oklahoma Statutes in an amount equal to fifty percent (50%) of the cost for the construction, refurbishment or conversion of a qualified horse slaughter facility.C. The credit authorized by the provisions of this section shall not be used to reduce the liability of the taxpayer to less than zero (0).D. Any credit otherwise authorized pursuant to the provisions of this section not used to offset a tax liability may be carried over, in order, to each of the succeeding five (5) taxable years.SECTION 2. This act shall become effective January 1, 2012.53-2-9165 MAH 01/18/12See MoreOklahoma House of Representatives - Home Page www.okhouse.govOklahoma House of Representative Legislature's Website where you can follow the introduction of measures, committee actions, and votes.Oklahoma House of Representatives - Home Page www.okhouse.govOklahoma House of Representative Legislature's Website where you can follow the introduction of measures, committee actions, and votes

January 30, 2012

Calls Needed Today in Support of Ban on Hauling Horses in Double-Deck Trailers
House Committee to Consider Bill on Thursday

Dear Humanitarian:

At long last, a ban on the use of trailers with more than one level for hauling horses is on the verge of being considered by Congress... It is also on the verge of being derailed. While language clearly banning ALL hauling of horses by double-deck trailers is included in the Surface Transportation Extension Act, opponents are trying to undermine this modest yet important legislation.

Support for banning the use of double-deck trailers is strong, and includes the American Veterinary Medical Association, National Black Farmers Association, Animal Welfare Institute and Veterinarians for Equine Welfare. Equine rescue, humane, and professional organizations realize it is cruel and dangerous to haul horses on double-deck trailers. Even the U.S. Department of Agriculture has come out against their use: "We do not believe that equines can be safely and humanely transported on a conveyance that has an animal cargo space divided into two or more stacked levels." (9 CFR Parts 70 and 88). In fact, USDA has prohibited using these trailers for transporting horses to slaughter, but its rule doesn't cover horses
being transported for any other purposes - or those supposedly being hauled for another purpose. All horses, irrespective of where they are going, deserve this important protection, and the language included in the Surface Transportation Extension Act will provide it.

On Thursday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is expected to consider the Surface Transportation Extension Act. There are rumors that someone on the Committee might offer an amendment removing the language calling for a ban on these inhumane trailers. During the last Congress the same Committee unanimously approved the ban on double-deck trailers, and this support is needed again now. Please, can you help us?

Time is Short; Here's What You Can Do:

If your U.S. Representative is on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, please take a few minutes TODAY to call and ask him or her to support the existing language and oppose any amendment that would change it. Below is some additional information that might be useful when you call.

To find the name of your Representative and his/her phone number, please visit www.compassionindex.org. You can also call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected.

Thank you for taking action on this very important issue. Be sure to share this eAlert with friends, family, and coworkers and urge them to call in support of the language as well.

Sincerely,

Chris Heyde
Deputy Director
Government and Legal Affairs

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Double-Deck Trailers are Inhumane and Unsafe. According to the USDA and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), horses require 7-8' (84"-92") ceiling clearance for safe and humane transport. Double-deck trailers often have ceilings as low as 5'5", well below the recommended minimum. Even trailers "modified" for special use have ceilings no higher than 5'11" (71"). When moved in these physically inadequate vehicles, many horses have arrived at their destination with grievous wounds on their shoulders (withers) and backs because their heads were forced into an unnatural and unbalanced position for extended periods of time during travel. Double-deck trailers, designed for shorter-necked species, like cattle and swine, do not provide adequate space for horses
to retain their balance, leading to unstable footing, falls, injuries, trampling, and death.

Grisly Accidents Cost Lives, Traumatize First Responders, and Inflict Financial Burdens on Communities. Accidents in recent years have created gruesome roadside scenes of horses twisted, entangled, dead, and dying. Responders are often unprepared and left shocked by such horrifying disasters. Local communities have had to pay for the rescue and rehabilitation of the horses in many cases.

Patchwork of State Laws Exists. Six states ban the use of double-deck trailers for the transport of horses entirely (Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont). A federal law would harmonize the varying state laws that address horse transport, improve enforcement of horse transportation safety laws, and make America's roads a safer place for all interstate travelers.

USDA Regulation Doesn't Cover Non-Slaughter Horse Transport. The USDA has unequivocally stated that double-deck trailers are inhumane and unsafe and has implemented a ban on their use for the transport of horses to slaughter. Unfortunately, there is a need for Congress to do what USDA has not been able to do - prevent the use of double-deck trailers to transport horses for other purposes. No matter the destination, using double-deck trailers to transport horses is inherently dangerous to horses and to people.

We respectfully urge you to support the language in the Surface Transportation Act banning the transportation of horses on double-deck trailers. This language will make transportation safer for horses and our roadways safer for drivers. Feel free to contact us with any questions.

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New post on Habitat for Horses
THE REQUIREMENTS OF JUSTICE
by Jerry Finch
Although polls indicate that nearly 70% of Americans polled are against horse slaughter, Congresswoman Sue Wallis and her supporters claim they are taking the moral high ground in their fight to bring horse slaughter back to the U.S. The Animal Welfare Institute lists organizations and individuals opposed to horse slaughter. Included on the list of those opposed are such equine industry giants as the American Thoroughbred Association, Blue Horse Charities and the New York Racing Association.
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Jerry Finch | January 22, 2012 at 6:44 pm | Tags: Congress, dollar, Habitat for Horses, horse slaughter, horses, Obama | Categories: Life and love in the world of horses | URL: http://wp.me/p1zH9q-7m
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A must read!!
New post on Habitat for Horses
The Last of the Real Cowboys
by Jerry Finch
In the darkness of the night the horses are crammed into trucks - shocked, beaten, terrified. We trained them to respect us, to trust us, to believe that we will protect them, yet in their final hour we betray them, we turn our backs to their screams. In the horror of their death, we count the bloody dollars we’ve crammed in our pockets. This is what the American cowboy has become. All for the love of money.
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Jerry Finch | January 21, 2012 at 6:28 pm | Tags: AAEP, AQHA, AVMA, cowboys, Habitat for Horses, horse slaughter, horses, money, neglect, slaughter | Categories: Life and love in the world of horses | URL: http://wp.me/p1zH9q-7g
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For Immediate Release

The Face of Horse American Slaughter: Shady Dealer Shifts Species but Modus Operandi Remains Unchanged

Washington, DC (January 23, 2012) – Some politicians in Washington feel that restarting a horse slaughter industry on American soil is a good idea. We’d like to offer a small window into how the horse slaughter industry currently operates, as shady players make deals amongst themselves while duping innocent people into giving up their horses to be butchered. Read on…

A story recently surfaced about a 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman, Kelsey Lefever, who faces felony charges after allegedly collecting over 120 retired racehorses from well-meaning owners, promising them she would find good homes for the horses. Her intention all along, however, was to sell them to killer buyers. Their “good homes” turned out to be a slaughterhouse in Canada, where they met with a gruesome death in order to become a “delicacy” at restaurants abroad. In the police report, a witness indicates that Lefever told her, "I killed every one of those (expletive) horses—over 120 of them. If they only knew, every one of them is dead."

Her middleman is alleged to be one Bruce Rotz, Jr., who operates his killer buyer business from barns in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. He is under contract to buy horses for the Canadian meat company Viande Richelieu.

Long before Rotz was a killer buyer, however, the Rotz family gained notoriety via another avenue of animal abuse: as Class B dealers. Rotz worked for his father, Bruce Rotz, Sr., who acquired dogs via an illicit supply chain and made tens of thousands of dollars a year selling the poor victims—many of whom were likely former companion animals—to research facilities for experimentation.

As dog dealers, the Rotzes had numerous run-ins with the law. The elder Rotz was fined $1,240 in 2005 for failing to meet minimum requirements under the Animal Welfare Act. The Rotzes acquired many of the dogs they sold from a family of notorious dealers in Missouri whose license was eventually revoked and a fine imposed for violations of the federal law, including failing to keep accurate records on hundreds of the dogs they sold.

In 2006, Bruce Rotz Sr. let his license to operate as a random source dog dealer expire, and he sold his business. Although Bruce Rotz, Jr. continued to work for the new owner for a while, he was already moving on to horses by then. Though he’s shifted species from dogs to horses, Rotz’s methods appear to be the same. He is part of a dirty business where animals come to him from questionable sources, and he sells them for profit. He frequents the nearby New Holland horse auction to acquire horses, including former racehorses, for the trade in their meat. Recently, according to the criminal investigation, Rotz bought horses from Ms. Lefever.

Rotz doesn’t appear to be any more concerned with where the horses come from than he was with the dogs—and because he is once removed from the known illegal activity, he appears to be successfully ducking prosecution. While Lefever faces prosecution for her fraudulent acquisition of the horses, Rotz remains free—a fine example of the sort of individual poised to take a lead role in a revised American horse slaughter industry.

“This makes you wonder why some Members of Congress are fighting so hard to restore an industry filled with crooked individuals like Rotz and Lefever, while thumbing their noses at those responsible owners who lost their horses into slaughter against their will,” said Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal affairs for AWI. “Thankfully, the majority of legislators are supporting passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act which would protect horses from corrupt profiteers.”

Today's News
If you recall, last year Wallis got a group of "equine scientist" to write a letter in an attempt to discredit the published paper, Association of phenylbutazone usage with horses bought for slaughter: A public health risk. This was just another attempt at trying to find a way around food safety laws.
The Food and Chemical Toxicology Journal has published the letter from the "scientists" and Dr. Marini's response that clearly illustrates their lack of knowledge on the subject.http://equinewelfarealliance.org/uploads/Henneke_and_Marini.pdf
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Today's News
It's been a busy, busy day and luckily I did a work-at-home today so I was able to stay on top of things. Below are two links to the channel 4 news segments. This is the reporter that Jo-Claire has been working with. The reporter really did a good job investigating and gave an excellent report. There is also a clip in her report from an interview with Amber Taylor in Texas on the Presidio connection. More on Presido coming later tonight from Horseback.
The cliffs notes version is that during the middle of the night, the vet cleared the horses for travel so they brought in trailers and headed to Presidio to that hell hole - C4. Those poor horses being traumatized from the accident and then instead of receiving some TLC.... well, you know. The Three Angels farm they came from is a kill buyer. They have about 40 horses on 5 acres.
This story is not over. As soon as we have any additional information that can be released from the investigators, we'll let you know. Several aspects of this tragedy are being investigated. We aren't trying to be secretive but we don't want to compromise the investigations that are underway.
5p newshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPnkInknL38&feature=youtu.be
6p newshttp://www.wsmv.com/video?clipId=6647382&topVideoCatNo=213265&autoStart=true
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New post on Tuesday's Horse
Racehorses face butcher’s axe as courses close in Italy
by Vivian Grant
Cross-posted from The Independent (GB) Written by MICHAEL DAY It is not a good time to be a racehorse in Italy. Many Italians already had a taste for cavallo, but with the economy dipping and people staying away from the races, horse steaks, stews and cutlets are a set feature on many more menus. As [...]
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Vivian Grant | Jan 16, 2012 at 8:42 am | Tags: horse racing, horse slaughter, racecourse closures, racehorses italy | Categories: horse racing, horse slaughter | URL: http://wp.me/p6VVi-4I2
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New post on Habitat for Horses
The $2,000.00 Horse Slaughter Challenge!
by Jerry Finch
Show us, beyond any doubt, that you are right and we are wrong. Here is your chance to spread the word of your gospel, to demonstrate why horse slaughter is necessary for the good of the country, for the good of the industry or even for the good of the starving masses in Paris. That’s all you have to do, and this offer is open to any organization, any pseudo-wizard equine veterinarian, any university, breed organization spokesperson, or Senator. We await your knowledge, your wisdom, your proven facts.
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Jerry Finch | January 15, 2012 at 10:23 pm | Tags: AAEP, American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, AQHA, AVMA, Canada, Congress, GAO, Habitat for Horses, horses, money, slaughter | Categories: Life and love in the world of horses | URL: http://wp.me/p1zH9q-72
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New post on Tuesday's Horse
Mystery surrounding abandoned horses finally solved
by Vivian Grant
Based on reports from the European Union (EU) tracking horses sold to Mexico for slaughter and arial footage of a group of abandoned horses, EWA concluded that over 5,000 abandoned horses in the US can be traced back to meat slaughter plants in Mexico. The EU report identified that over 5,000 horses sold to Mexico [...]
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Vivian Grant | Jan 13, 2012 at 8:11 am | Tags: abandoned horses, ewa, horse meat, horse slaughter, mexico | Categories: horse slaughter | URL: http://wp.me/p6VVi-4FN
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(Note from Brandi: This is a blog by Jerry Finch from Habitat for Horses.)

I QUIT!

11 Jan

I’ve finally had all I can take – filled to the limit, my cup ran over. I’ve listened to all the excuses, tried to understand, tried to reason, to engage in logical discussions, tried everything I know to grasp the meaning and motivation of those who hurt animals. “Understand your enemy,” has been a mantra, a driving force behind hours of classroom work, literally hundreds of books, articles and long discussions with those far wiser than I.

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New post on Straight from the Horse's Heart
Wyoming Equine Terrorist Quits Horse Eating Cult
by R.T. Fitch
On January 1st alleged horse trainer and President of the front for horse slaughter lobbying, United Horsemen, issued a communique to their handful of cultist followers stating that Wyoming State Rep. "Slaughterhouse" Sue Wallis has resigned her post as Vice President effective immediately.
With the organization and it's leadership's history of dancing with the truth and coming up short on facts it's difficult to ascertain exactly the reasoning behind the biggest mouth in the horse eating business making such a rapid departure from the questionable organization. The only reason given during Duquette's rambling is that the infamous horse butcheress is going to utilize her ample free time in studying new ways in which to kill, mutilate, desecrate and eat equine companion animals.
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R.T. Fitch | January 2, 2012 at 12:10 AM | Tags: Cruelty to animals, Horse, Horse Meat, Horse Slaughter, Pain and Suffering, Sue Wallis | Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter, The Force of the Horse | URL: http://wp.me/pyapj-3z6
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New post on Straight from the Horse's Heart
14 Year Old Campaigns to Save U.S. Horses
by R.T. Fitch
My horse China's doing great, I'm doing great. But there's one thing that's not so great. And I'm asking for the help and support of my community to change that status. I recently started a petition against the reopening of equine slaughter in the U.S. Before equine slaughter was made illegal in 2007, over 25,000 horses each year were being processed and shipped out of the country for human consumption.
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R.T. Fitch | December 29, 2011 at 12:02 AM | Tags: Cruelty to animals, Equus (genus), Horse, Horse Slaughter, Slaughterhouse | Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter | URL: http://wp.me/pyapj-3ye
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Thu Dec 22, 2011 5:09 am (PST)
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New post on Canadian Horse Defence Coalition's Blog
CTV Ottawa reports on slaughter video
by canadianhorsedefencecoalition
Disturbing video sparks pressure to ban horse meat
Updated: Wed Dec. 21 2011 4:29:09 PM
Horse 31 Day 1 Belgian Marectvottawa.ca
Animal rights groups are calling for a ban on the sale of horse meat after disturbing video at a slaughterhouse in west Quebec was sent to the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition.
The footage was shot with a hidden camera inside Les Viandes de la Petite Nation near Montebello. It shows a parade of horses being stunned with what's called a captive bolt pistol.
At one point, a worker can be seen stunning a horse and waving goodbye. Under Canadian laws, one shot is supposed to render the horse unconscious but it often doesn't happen. Captured on video, is one horse being stunned 11 times.
"What we do here is legal and supervised by the Canadian government," said the company's general manager.http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20111221/OTT-horse-meat-ban-disturbing-video-stun-Quebec-111221/20111221/?hub=OttawaHome
canadianhorsedefencecoalition | December 21, 2011 at 20:47 | Categories: Animal Cruelty, Horse Slaughter | URL: http://wp.me/pUJ26-Cb
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Thu Dec 22, 2011 5:55 am (PST)
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New post on Straight from the Horse's Heart
Video: Gallop for Life
by R.T. Fitch
This is a public service announcement (PSA) created to raise awareness and support for the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S. 1176/H.R. 2966).
Though they cannot speak, they shall not remain voiceless.
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R.T. Fitch | December 22, 2011 at 1:17 AM | Tags: Cruelty to animals, H.R. 2966, Horse, Horse Slaughter, S. 1176 | Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter | URL: http://wp.me/pyapj-3wz
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Today's News
Rumor has it that John has bought blank tapes. I'm thinking a short holiday video is in the making.... He's really busy but I think we convinced him that it won't be the same without his annual holiday video.
If ever there was someone that tells it like it is, it's Vickery Eckhoff. Sorry I wasn't home to send this when it broke so if you haven't seen it..... It's a classic and a must share and post with everyone!
How Many Congressmen Does It Take To Screw A Horse?http://www.forbes.com/sites/vickeryeckhoff/2011/12/21/how-many-congressmen-does-it-take-to-screw-a-horse/
Natural Horse published an article by John and me (mostly John - LOL) that is in the print edition and paid on-line subscription. We received permission to distribute to our members.
Horse Slaughter to Decline in Coming Yearshttp://equinewelfarealliance.org/uploads/Natural_Horse_-_Dec_2011.pdf
This is the magazine's website: www.naturalhorse.com
Jo-Claire Corcoran has started a children's letter writing campaign. I've uploaded the flyer to the website along with a link to her facebook page. Please join the campaign and pass the word on to your groups and post on your social network sites. We need thousands of letters.
MILLION HORSE MARCH-CHILDREN'S LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN TO END HORSE SLAUGHTER March 26, 2012
The flyer and fb links are posted on the below page along with the flyer that ties into the War Horse movie. Feel free to use and distribute as published. In other words, if you make any changes, you cannot link to EWA or Jo Corcoran without our approval of the new copy. http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/How_You_Can_Help.html
Here are two of Jerry Finch's (Habitat for Horses) latest articles:
The Unwanted Puffball Coalition Note: I thought this was hysterical and just shows the absurdity of the "unwanted" horses and horse slaughter.
Horsemeat is Big Business
A little holiday cheer
I received this in a newsletter from Helping Hearts Equine Rescue and it was so precious, I just had to get permission to share.
This is a holiday message to you from our friends at the Italian Horse Protection Association.
Dear Friends,
Arriving at the end of the year 2011 and having the Christmas holidays in front of us, we would like to gratefully review the year just passed. During the last months, we have encountered several challenges like the continuous fight for Rocket, the mare deprived from freedom after being declared positive to Equine Infectious Anemia even that the officially test produced a negative result.
Challenges, such as the international campaign to ban street horse races in Italy (www.nopalio.it), or the European campaign to limit transportation time for animals to slaughterhouses to 8 hours (www.8hours.eu). But there were also many great opportunities, such as the possibility to spread out our message on several horse fairs as well as in magazines, newspapers and blogs.
As in previous times, even in 2011 the operations of IHP have met resistance and difficulties, for example with the recovery of expenses for confiscated horses from Italian Courts; however, we have been helped by our supporters with donations of goods or money, with help in our daily work with the horses or with organization of spaces in the media in order to make our voice heard.
With all this help received we were able to make some further steps towards our dream: to give a future worth living for all horses.
Read our Christmas letter with a brief report on what we achieved in 2011.
Our sincere wishes for a Merry Christmas and a happy 2012!
Adolfo, Antonio and Sonny
IHP - Italian Horse Protection association
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EWA Press Release http://equinewelfarealliance.org/uploads/Abandoned_Horses-FINAL.pdf
December 18, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
John Holland
540-268-5693john@equinewelfarealliance.org
Vicki Tobin
630.961.9292vicki@equinewelfarealliance.org
Mystery Surrounding Abandoned Horses Finally Solved
Chicago (EWA) - A six month investigation by the EWA and other animal investigation organizations has finally determined the predominant source of abandoned horses in the Southwestern US. The findings show that most or all of more than 5,000 horses a year are being abandoned after being rejected for slaughter at the Mexican border.
The investigation explains the source and reason for abandonments, most of which have been reported in the vast stretches of isolated land north of the Mexican border since 2009. Most of these horses could clearly be identified as domestic stock from such indications as nail holes in their hooves (where shoes had recently been removed) but no other clues to their source were found.
Until now articles about their discovery have speculated that they were abandoned by individual owners because they could no longer afford to feed them. The horse slaughter lobby has further suggested that this was made worse because individuals "no longer had a slaughter option".
Equine advocates countered this hypothesis by pointing out that there had been no decrease in slaughter to force such actions, and that the areas where they were being found did not have significant domestic horse populations.
Moreover, it made no sense that someone who could not afford to euthanize and bury a horse would elect instead to pay for hauling it hundreds or thousands of miles only to turn it loose. In fact, many horse advocates had good reason to suspect the reports were bogus.
Following the closure of US horse slaughter plants in 2007, there were a large number of stories published claiming horses were being abandoned because of a lack of slaughter. These reports ranged from reclaimed strip mines in Kentucky to the Florida Everglades and Oregon ranches. For a year each of these was investigated and found to be false or hugely distorted.
But in the past two years there have been an increasing number of authenticated reports of abandoned horses, mostly in the remote stretches of the southwest Border States. A few of these horses actually had hide removed, apparently to obscure a brand.
In August, the first piece of the puzzle fell into place when approximately 300 horses were spotted from the air starving and dead in a remote feedlot near the port-of-entry town of Presidio, Texas. The fact that living horses were found in different stages of starvation and the dead horses were in various stages of decomposition, indicated they had been dumped there at different times.
The situation became all the more puzzling when it was revealed that the feedlot was operated by the C4 Cattle Company and Intermeat Inc./Dallas Crown the Belgian meat company that had formerly operated the Dallas Crown horse slaughter plant in Kaufman, Texas. The company buys horses for slaughter in Mexico. It was also discovered that about 40 of the horses came from kill buyer Trenton Saulters.
The question was of course why they had left the horses to perish only a few miles from the border crossing where they could have been sold to the slaughter plants in Mexico.
An answer came in the European Union's (EU's) report (DG(SANCO) 2010-8524 - MR) from the 2010 audit of their horse slaughter plants in Mexico. In section 5.2.1.2, the report divulged that Mexico had rejected 5,336 slaughter horses out of 62,560 presented at six OISAs (Border Crossing Offices) during the audit period between January and October 2010.
The horses were rejected under a new system of controls implemented in December, 2009. Reasons for rejection included health problems, advanced pregnancy and injuries.
The final piece of the puzzle came from an investigation by EWA on how the USDA's APHIS (Animal and Plant Inspection Service) tracks horses bound for slaughter. EWA's Valerie James-Patton was researching the Owner/Shipper certificate system which is supposed to allow APHIS to assure humane regulations are being followed. When asked what happens to horses rejected at the Mexican border, she was told simply "they fall out of the system."
Normally kill buyers who haul slaughter horses to Mexico try to fill their trailers with cattle and other animals on the return journey. So clearly they need to dispose of the rejected horses, and the most economical way to do so is to simply abandon them on a deserted stretch of road or in an isolated lot.
Ironically, while the horse slaughter lobby has been claiming abandonment was a result of a lack of slaughter, it now appears it is in large part a result of the practice.
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The Equine Welfare Alliance is a dues-free 501c4, umbrella organization with over 210 member organizations and hundreds of individual members worldwide. The organization focuses its efforts on the welfare of all equines and the preservation of wild equids. www.equinewelfarealliance.org
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New post on Canadian Horse Defence Coalition's Blog
Canadian SPCA Responds to Shocking Footage at Quebec Horse-Slaughter Facility
by canadianhorsedefencecoalition
The CSPCA released their response to the Les Petit-Nations slaughter footage as well as a statement on their position regarding horse slaughter. Both are posted in CSPCA press release and stmnt - Francais and CSPCA Press Release and position statement
Horse in stun box LPN July 2011
canadianhorsedefencecoalition | December 17, 2011 at 12:30 | Categories: Animal Cruelty, Horse Slaughter | URL: http://wp.me/pUJ26-BH
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This is a release issued by our partners, Italian Horse Protection Association, in Italy. I also have this in Italian if anyone wants a copy. This was sent to newspapers, magazines, press agencies and their supporters in Italy and Europe.Da: Sito Horse Protection [mailto:ihp@horseprotection.it]Inviato: giovedì 15 dicembre 2011 12.23Oggetto: Carne di cavallo in Italia: un'indagine rivela la presenza di sostanze pericolosissime per la salute. / Horse meat in Italy: an investigation reveals that it contains substances dangerous to healthDrawing together results of research carried out by one French and two American universities, and an inquiry by the Equine Welfare Alliance (USA), IHP can assert that at least part of the horsemeat sold in the European markets has been subjected to no checks whatsoever for drugs present in the slaughtered animals. IHP asserts moreover that since autumn 2010 the European health authorities have been fully aware of this fact yet have done nothing to protect the health interests of the European consumer.Sonny Richichi, IHP Organizational Manager, and also head of the 'Horse Slaughtering' section, affirms, "With the myth that horse meat contains more iron and is good for the blood those countries where horsemeat is widely consumed are administering to the most vulnerable members of society a cocktail of anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, hormones that control estrous cycle and who knows what other substances".Antonio Nardi-Dei da Filicaja, President of IHP adds, "The European health authorities make big news of the checks on meat and how they track and trace it all from source, but then they sweep under the carpet the results of their own inquiries which reveal that not only does a significant percentage of the horse meat on the market NOT have any credible certification regarding the use of drugs prior to slaughter, but moreover comes from countries where pretty well any drug is legally permitted and used, only at the discretion of the owner of the animal. Thus while fully cognisant of the risks that eating horse meat holds for consumers, the authorities have turned a blind eye and tried to conceal the incriminating evidence. According to the FAO, in 2009 approximately 16,000 tonnes of horse meat entered the EU from Canada and Mexico. In general, around 50% of horse meat consumed in Italy comes from
abroad."Read our investigation on horse meat originating in America, sold in Europe. Note: this is in Italian. I've asked Antonio for a link in English and will pass it on when received.(Julie Caramante : Not sure if this translated right...I'm pasting it before reading it.)

In the USA a difference between equidi DPA does not exist and equidi non-DPA as we have in Europe, but simply is not considered part of the alimentary row. D' other part the meat of the slaughtered horses that come every year, before in USA, then in Canada and Mexico and now perhaps of new in the USA, comes exported mainly in Europe. France, Belgium, Italy and Germany are the Countries that of it consume the greater amount. Every horse, therefore, being part of the alimentary row cannot receive any farmacologico treatment the veterinary (or the owner) it thinks necessary, provided that generically admitted from the law, without some need of formality. L' European union, thus with justice strict (for we not enough) with own breeders to which it demands a complete tracciabilità of all the drugs that have been somministrati to the animals directed
to the slaughter houses for protection of the health of the consumer, chip ax for the coming horses from Canada and Mexico a autodichiarazione of the owner of the horse whom they have not been used drugs not allowed in Europe and that with regard to those permissions they have been observed the times of suspension before the slaughtering. The document would have to then contain all the necessary information for the corrected identification dell' equine. Equine volunteers of the Welfare Alliance, un' alliance of affiliated American animaliste and protezioniste organizations with in 18 countries, between which l' Italy with IHP, has gone to New Holland, in Pennsylvania (USA) to a market of destined horses to the Canadian slaughter houses in order to see like was these autocertificazioni. The volunteers have photographed all the declarations that are resolutions to having in hand for some second: they are all certifications
signed in white man, then “stick” any horse. Quite two are sheets white men: with solo a company and an other with the name and l' address of the vendor, a comment on like or hard its horse and the dicitura “no drug”. In any case, even if they were compiled perfectly: who guarantees that the vendor says the truth? Equine the Welfare Alliance has immediately sent the photos all' Competent authority of the UE but has not received some constructive answer. It watches the photos of the certificates. Being thus the university things, some investigators (Nicholas Dodman of the Tufts University, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicines, Massachussets; Nicolas Blondeau of the University of Nizza “Sophia Antipolis”, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Marine France and Ann M. of the University of Bethesda, Department of Neurology, Maryland) have intentional to try to cross the data dell' animal started on the slaughter
house with the data banks of the race courses where the horses could have eventually run; to fine drug tests in those data banks the treatments with the fenilbutazone are recorded also, a non-steroideo antiinflammatory of common use in the horses (name trade them: Bute) but in not somministrabile Europe to equidi destined to the meat production. Through a enough complex procedure the investigators are resolutions to under investigation find the data of contest of 16 taken horses on 50. The result of the search is that all the horses of which they have been found the data had been dealt with Bute, some also only a week before the slaughtering. Not only, the found data are those of the race. But all the treatments made in proximity of a race do not come annotated. The horses slaughtered and exported in Europe, therefore, have large probability of having traces of products forbidden in their meats, and not only fenilbutazone.
You read the integral text of publication (Dodman, N., ET to the Association of phenylbutazone usage with horses bought for slaughter: To public health risk. Food Chem. Toxicol. (2010), (doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2010.02.021) Read the search we have gone to still dig more and have found un' impressive list of drugs and hormones, normally used for the horses Americans, than in Europe has strict regulations much (or completely is forbidden) because dangerous or most dangerous for the human health. Some hormones allowed in the forbidden or however strictly restricted USA and in the UE can be thus dangerous that some organisms of public health ocean-going liners give councils of the type: “she recommends herself that the pregnant women do not manipulate the product and that the person who transports - with the gloves - the vasetto for the somministrazione for oral way is coadiuvata from an assistant that opens the doors to its
passage, waves to avoid contamination risks”. Still digging we have found something that we would not have never intentional to find. Two verbali of inspection dell' European union dell' autumn 2010, in Canada and in Mexico after that the UE had asked some implementations in order to make yes that the meat of horse produced here had an acceptable standard for the European public health. The result of the two inspections are chilling: two slaughter houses in Mexico are completely outside standards, but however authorized to export towards the UE. The Authorities center them Mexican have in any case promised to the inspectors that they will not distribute certifyd of export from those two plants. The others instead had “ONLY” potabilità problems dell' water, of hygiene and naturally of no control on the veridicità of the autocertificazioni regarding the drugs. L' inspection concludes that the slaughter houses, although
authorized all' export towards the UE, the imports are not online with the standards demands (, today, are not however never stopped). In Canada the situation is slightly better but also here, besides the hygienic problems (lighter), the control lacks completely on drugs, except the ridicule autocertificazione of the vendor. You read the verbale dell' inspection in Canada You read the verbale dell' inspection in Mexico The situation is most serious from the point of view of the public health for the dangerous or most dangerous drug amount with which the consumers enter in contact, but is not only absolutely shameful if we think that the prelocated Authorities to the vigilance are perfectly to acquaintance of all this sin dall' autumn 2010 and perhaps from before, and that besides the photos of as they come filled up the certificates they have also their same inspectors who write that not c' it is some guarantee for the
public health. If this were not enough, it remembers that the horse meat, because of a popular sideboard, often comes date to the children, the women pregnant and the subjects weak people. Those that is that instead they would have to be object of a strengthened sanitary protection.

(Note from Brandi: This was from facebook. I am waiting to hear where the kids are supposed to send the letters. I will update as soon as I know.)

Million Horse March - CHILDREN'S LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN

Monday, June 11, 2012

9:30am until 12:30pm

Locations: Washington, DC and Ottawa, Canada

We are asking that children write letters, draw pictures, asking their respective governments to stop horse slaughter. We working on this as a joint venture with our Canadian compatriots to fight this battle in both countries. US children will have one address to send the letters to and the Canadian children will have another address. These will be delivered on the day of the Million Horse March in Washington DC, June 11, 2012. The US letters will be delivered to the US Congress and the Canadian letters will be delivered to the Canadian Parliment.

Pressure Increasing on Congress to Ban Slaughter as Powerful Organizations Back AHSPA

Following a USDA/IES investigation and dismissal of Animals' Angels' concerns that horse trader David Misner might have violated California law by knowingly selling and shipping California horses that were then sent to slaughter, the most basic questions remain:

Misti Denton of the CHDC (Canadian Horse Defense Coalition) has requested that this information be given broad circulation....and we all need to understand, and make our legislators understand, that IT'S NOT GOING TO BE FUNDAMENTALLY ANY DIFFERENT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. A somewhat shortened trip to the slaughter house does not compensate for the horrific final ending of these horse's lives, despite pro-slaughter claims to the contrary!!

The CHDC has once again received undercover footage - this time from Les Viandes de la Petite-Nation, Inc., in St. Andre-Avellin, Qubec. The footage was captured on July 13th and 14th of 2011 and was sent anonymously to the CHDC. **Warning - contains graphic video**(I DID NOT WATCH THE VIDEO MYSELF.)

Dr. Nicholas Dodman, an expert in animal behaviour and anesthesiology at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Dodman had this to say: "...my final conclusion, after reviewing 150-plus horse slaughters in this series of videos, is that the process was terrifying for most of the horses and, in many cases, horribly inhumane. The inhumane treatment of horses at Les Viandes de la Petite Nation must be stopped immediately."

The evidence is clear: it is impossible, even in well-designed, conscientiously-managed, assembly-line conditions, to humanely slaughter horses. As Dr. Dodman states, "...many head shy or apprehensive horses...presented the operator of the captive bolt gun with a moving target."

Examples of stun box failures noted:

~ More than 40% of the horses were not stunned after the 1st shot as required by "humane slaughter" regulations. Captive bolt pistol placement was poor - some horses were shot into their temples, under their ears or at the base of their brain. These horses showed clear signs of ineffective stunning or revival in the form of remaining standing, standing back up, winnying or head-shaking. Up to eleven attempts were made to stun one horse (Horse 33 Day 1) who suffered for almost 4 minutes.

~ Over 80% of the horses showed signs of fear: their knees trembled and buckled, they lost their footing and repeatedly fell.

Warning: The written report and accompanying videos contain graphic and disturbing content. Discretion is advised.

Dr. Nicholas Dodman is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, and

Professor, Section Head and Program Director of the Animal Behavior Department of Clinical

Sciences at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.

He is certified with the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists

(ACVA) and the American College of Veterinary Behavior (ACVB). Dr.

Dodman is one of the world’s most noted and celebrated veterinary

behaviorists, and is the author of four best-selling books on animal

behavior as well as two textbooks and more than 100 articles and

contributions to scientific books and journals.

With his experience in anesthesiology and his intricate knowledge about

the anatomy of the brain, Dr. Dodman is a leading specialist, qualified to

assess the stunning of horses in a slaughterhouse environment.

Of particular note with this investigation is the fraud being committed with falsified paperwork and that it is a Temple Grandin designed plant. This particular plant was touted as the "most modern" animal handling plant system in Canada designed by the U.S. livestock handling expert Temple Grandin. You can read about the plant expansion at considerable cost to taxpayers here:

We are all getting bombarded with email and phone calls (media included) asking what they can do to help.
Are you tired of faxing, calling and emailing legislators?
Are you tired of receiving canned responses?
Are you tired of getting the same results year after year because one legislator can stop our legislation dead in its tracks?
Are you mad because three committee members decided the fate of our horses in the recently passed appropriations bill?
Are you tired of signing never ending petitions that do absolutely nothing? Are you mad enough to do something NOW?
Time for a change. Instead of hounding legislators that won't speak up for the majority voice in our country, let's go straight to the top - the president.
One call, every day, until we get a response. Light up those lines and don't stop. Send to your groups, post on websites, facebook, tweet, toot and.... you get the idea!
One message [in your own words please!]
-As a senator, Obama cosponsored legislation to ban the slaughter of American Horses and stop the transport over our borders
-During his campaign, Obama promised to be a voice for Americans and our animals
-Ask/demand an immediate executive order banning the slaughter and transport to slaughter of American horses. Obama has the power with one stroke of his pen to end it.
That's it. Nothing else - unless of course, you are asked questions. And don't hesitate to follow up with a fax.

OCCUPY OBAMA‘S PHONE LINE 202-456-1111.

You can also call or write to the President:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Please include your e-mail address

"Racing Industry Silent About Slaughtered Thoroughbreds," 11/29/2011 FORBES Magazine, "This post is the first in a series on Thoroughbreds, racing and the state of the horse industry: How did a five-year-old racehorse named Princess Madeline end up in a feedlot on July 13, priced for slaughter?
Ask a horse trainer, and they’ll probably shrug. More than 10,000 U.S. Thoroughbreds a year ship to slaughterhouses in Canada and Mexico, slightly more than the 7,567 yearlings sold at auction in 2010 to American, Japanese and Middle Eastern billionaires, among others.
These doomed Thoroughbreds are racing’s collateral damage—and that’s before you include the 750 who die on the track each year, an average of two fatal injuries per day according to the Jockey Club’s new equine injury database.
For some reason, though, the media won’t talk about this spectacular pile up of dead horses. They’re too busy covering the fun and investment side of racing, like partnerships and syndicates and tax deductions for yearlings.http://www.forbes.com/sites/vickeryeckhoff/2011/11/29/racing-industry-silent-about-slaughtered-thoroughbreds/
Marge
"Regardless of which path one chooses to get to Heaven, the best way to arrive there is on a horse."

-----Original Message-----From: Connie Curnow [mailto:cscurnow@msn.com]Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 5:17 PMSubject: Obama breaks another campaign pledge; despite having promised to maintain ban at all costs during his 2008 campaign.Importance: High

On November 18th, as the country was celebrating Thanksgiving, President Obama signed a law, allowing Americans to kill and eat horses.

Obama breaks another campaign pledge; despite having promised to maintain ban at all costs during his 2008 campaign. Asked in a questionnaire, “Will you support legislation…to institute a permanent ban on horse slaughter and exports of horses for human consumption, ”Obama simply responded, “Yes.” Horse slaughter plants are now planned in at least eight states: Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Missouri, Nebraska & Georgia.

Fri Nov 18, 2011 4:56 am (PST)
WordPress.com
New post on Straight from the Horse's Heart
Congressman Speaks Out Against Committee’s Inaction to De-fund Horse Slaughter Inspectors
by R.T. Fitch
"While I ultimately supported this appropriations bill, I have serious objections with the conference committee's decision to remove House-approved language preventing horse slaughter, language that had been in the bill for the past five years and I authored this year."
Read more of this post
R.T. Fitch | November 17, 2011 at 8:43 PM | Tags: Horse, Horse Slaughter, Jim Moran, United States | Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter | URL: http://wp.me/pyapj-3se
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